Ondo varsity lecturers call off four-month-old strike

Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State have called their four-month-old strike.

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The lecturers went on strike in August over the non-payment of salaries and arrears by the state government.

Chairman of the ASUU AAUA chapter, Bolawaji Oshodi, confirmed the suspension of the strike on Monday.

He said the union decided to resume academic activities after reaching an understanding with the university’s management.

“For now, we have suspended the strike. Everything is based on the agreement we had with the university management. Management has been very supportive, too, and we understand,” he said.

“We are still being owed one month salary, but based on our love for the system and our students, we have resolved to suspend the strike.”

The union declared the industrial action on 21 August, in a notice signed by Mr Oshodi and Secretary, Olusegun Taiwo, notifying the university of the withdrawal of their services over unpaid salaries and arrears.

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The letter had read: “By this memo, our members have been directed to withdraw their services from all academic activities in the university until all our outstanding salaries and arrears are paid.”

The union claimed it had written multiple letters to both the university management and the state government over the lingering non-payment of wages.

According to Mr Oshodi, the lecturers resorted to a “total strike” to press home their demands.

“But to be sincere, the major problem we are facing is funding. The state government is not funding the university. As I speak now, we are being owed two months’ salaries (July and August),” he said.

“This is aside several arrears, promotion arrears, excess workload and others running into billions. The state government is not forthcoming. So, we made up our minds that until everything is addressed, we’re not going back,” he said.

But the state government in response to the strike set up a committee to come up with practical steps to improving funding for the university and resolved all pending issues affecting the institution.

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Commissioner for Information, Idowu Ajanaku, said the committee was to proffer funding options and make recommendations to the state government.

He also said the state government had approved funds for the immediate payment of the salaries of the lecturers, while the next budget would capture an improved funding and subvention for the University.