Abia State University Urges ASUU to Reconsider Planned Strike

The management of Abia State University, Uturu, has called on members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to reconsider their proposed industrial action in light of the potential impact on the academic calendar.

This plea comes in response to ASUU’s threat to go on strike over 11 months of salary arrears owed to them by the university.

In a press release signed by the Registrar, Acho Elendu, the university management emphasized that a strike would not be in the best interest of the lecturers or the institution due to its potential disruption of the academic schedule.

 

The management clarified that it has been meeting its salary obligations to ASUU members regularly since assuming office.

It also stated that the Abia State Government has been consistent in releasing monthly subventions to the university.

According to Acho Elendu, the university is technically not in arrears of staff salaries, although the current management inherited 10 months of salary arrears from the previous administration, of which five months have been cleared.

Plans are underway to settle the remaining arrears.

The university expressed disappointment that ASUU members participated in the 2022 8-month strike, which disrupted the planned clearance of salary arrears.

Despite this, the university urged the lecturers to prioritize dialogue and consider the welfare of students and the institution by abandoning the proposed strike.

Responding to the university’s plea, a lecturer, known as Bro Kalu, insisted that the university management should prioritize the payment of their salary arrears and refrain from engaging in a blame game.