ASUU-FUOYE indefinite strike begins over unpaid salaries, as lecturers demand prompt monthly payments in line with national ASUU directive

ASUU-FUOYE indefinite strike has commenced following the failure of the Federal University Oye-Ekiti to pay its academic staff salaries.

Also read: FUOYE postpones resumption of academic activities to March 20

The university’s branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) announced the decision in a letter to the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Professor Olubunmi Shittu, on Thursday.

The strike action, which began immediately, will continue indefinitely until all outstanding wages are settled.

The letter, jointly signed by branch chairman O. A. Fagbuagun and financial secretary Ngwu Benitho, cited a directive from the ASUU National Executive Council (NEC) which mandates any branch experiencing delayed salary payments beyond the third day of the month to down tools.

“This is to notify the university administration that ASUU-FUOYE Branch has proceeded on strike until our salary is paid,” the letter read.

The ASUU-FUOYE indefinite strike underscores the growing frustration within Nigeria’s academic community, especially amid recurring salary delays and what unionists describe as the government’s failure to prioritise tertiary education.

The union argues that delayed payments not only violate employment terms but also diminish the morale and welfare of academic staff, many of whom have not received consistent remuneration for months.

ASUU’s national body had previously issued a standing directive for branches to go on strike if salaries are delayed beyond the third day of the month.

FUOYE appears to be the first branch to activate this clause following the directive.

“The strike is in line with the NEC directive that any ASUU branch experiencing unpaid salaries should immediately begin strike action,” the union reiterated.

The leadership has also urged university management and the Federal Government to take urgent steps to address salary payment issues and avoid further disruptions in the academic calendar.

Students at FUOYE, who recently resumed the new semester, are once again caught in the crossfire of labour disputes.

Academic activities have been halted indefinitely, raising fears of prolonged academic delays similar to past nationwide ASUU strikes.

Parents and students have voiced concerns that the repeated disruption of learning due to unresolved salary and funding issues threatens the future of higher education in Nigeria.

The ASUU-FUOYE indefinite strike comes just over a year after the end of ASUU’s prolonged national industrial action in 2022, which kept public universities shut for eight months.

While the federal government had promised reforms and improved funding, many of ASUU’s core demands remain unaddressed.

Also read:‘Free!’ FUOYE deputy VC claims he’s cleared of allegation

With this latest action, FUOYE becomes a test case for whether the NEC directive will spark similar strikes across other universities, especially if salary payments continue to delay in the coming months.