Workers and lecturers at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, have yet to receive payment of their outstanding salaries despite the N1.1 billion that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa approved for the institution about six days ago.
The Chairperson of the AAUA chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bolu Oshodi, disclosed this to journalists in Akure, the state capital, on Monday.
|
|
The union embarked on a strike action on 10 July to demand the payment of salaries.
The funds, dubbed the intervention fund, were meant to settle the backlog of workers’ salaries and other expenditures of the institution.
|
|
|
|---|
Mr Oshodi said the union has yet to receive payment alerts from the banks, despite information that the government had released the funds.
“As we speak now, the latest information is that the government has released the money to the university, but the university is still waiting for the money to drop into its account.
“They said the problem is with the bank, but as far as we are concerned, what our members are waiting for is the alert. As we speak, we are yet to receive any alert.
“It is not just lecturers this time around, it is all the staff of the university, both lecturers and non-academic staff.”
The chairperson expressed concern over the recurring funding crisis at the institution, noting that even if the immediate salary arrears are resolved, the institution could face a deeper crisis.
He revealed that the monthly subvention of N223 million released for July is grossly inadequate to cover the university’s wage bill of N550 million.
“If N223 million has been released again for July, how will the university get over N300 million to augment it? Without any prejudice, by all indications, if we are already due to receive July salary, as we speak now, we are being owed three months’ salary,” Mr Oshodi stated.
He further noted that the situation had been compounded by the state government’s failure to implement the new salary structure for university lecturers agreed upon between the federal government and ASUU in December 2025.
According to him, federal universities and several state universities, including EKSU, BOUESTI, UNIOSUN, LAUTECH, and KWASU, have implemented the new salary structure, while Ondo State has yet to follow suit.
He warned that the union is prepared to take further action if the government fails to implement the new salary structure, saying, “Our members can no longer continue to hope. All the state universities around us have started enjoying this new salary structure. We are just surprised why Ondo State has not implemented it.”
He added, “With the way things are, the AAUA ASUU branch is ready to embark on another action if the new salary structure is not implemented immediately. Beyond the issue of two or three months’ salary, there is a bigger issue ahead.”
Mr Oshodi disclosed that the university had not received any capital grant for infrastructure from the Ondo State Government in the past eight years.
READ ALSO: Strike: Ondo gov approves ₦1.1bn for varsity, urges lecturers to return to work
“The university has not received the money that is meant for infrastructure, which is known as a capital grant annually in the last eight years, not a single kobo from the state government,” he said.
“It is really a difficult situation; our members are groaning, frustrated and frustration can make anybody do anything but in academics, we are still trying to hold on. But the way things are now, when our members look around, all the universities around have started enjoying the new salary structure.”
Responding, the Chief Secretary to the Governor, Ebenezer Adeniyan, said the workers would receive their pay before the end of the week.
“Approvals don’t become alerts in two days. Financial transactions of government go through a laid-down process. They should be able to receive their payments this week,” Mr Adeniyan stated.
Discover more from Premium Times Nigeria
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
