The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter of the University of Ibadan, Adefemi Afolabi, stated on Tuesday that there will be no going back on the two-week nationwide warning strike initiated by the union.
Afolabi informed journalists in Ibadan that union members are fully participating in the strike.
He emphasized that they have been consistently involved in national meetings and have expressed concerns about the government’s slow response to the situation.
“It’s important to note that the federal government has received the report from the committee established to review the findings of a previous committee formed in 2016.
“The current committee was set up in September 2024, and its report was submitted in February 2025, indicating that nothing has progressed in eight months,” Afolabi said.
Afolabi mentioned that the union has made numerous attempts to reach out to individuals who might influence the government, in addition to their ongoing efforts to ensure the timely implementation of agreements.
He noted that the last national meeting took place on September 28, where it was decided to give the government a two-week ultimatum to sign the draft agreement from the committee.
“If no action is taken within that timeframe, the warning strike will commence. This was clearly communicated to the government,” he said.
He also remarked that the government’s warning of “no work, no pay” is not a new development.
“We will manage as best as we can. We expected the government to resolve the issue, as they have the authority to sign the agreement and the financial means to pay university salaries, which is the main concern here.
So, why is the government waiting for this warning strike before issuing a ‘no work, no pay’ warning? Unfortunately, this is the type of response we receive from the government.”
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Afolabi expressed that ASUU, like any union, does not wish for students to be kept out of the university, as their goal is for students to complete their education and graduate on time. He urged the government to take appropriate actions to prevent ongoing strikes.
Ayobami Lawal, a 300-level student, criticized the government for the frequent strikes, stating that they are unfair to both students and lecturers.
He argued that lecturers deserve better treatment from the government due to their significant contributions to society.
“When lecturers are adequately compensated, they will perform better and produce quality graduates who can positively impact society,” he said.
