ASUU-IMSU Extends Strike, Sets Conditions for Resumption of Academic Activities

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Imo State University (IMSU) branch, has called on the Imo State Government, the university’s Visitor and Governing Council to intervene in its ongoing strike, insisting that lecturers will not return to work until outstanding welfare and agreement-related issues are resolved.

The union warned that the prolonged industrial action was affecting the university’s academic calendar, institutional reputation and students’ progress. It appealed for genuine negotiations and a lasting resolution to the dispute.

ASUU-IMSU Chairman, Stephen Oguji, made the appeal during a press conference at the university premises in Owerri on Monday. He said the strike, which began on August 10, 2026, was intended to compel the full implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement, signed in December 2025 and effective from January 1, 2026.

Oguji outlined several conditions for suspending the industrial action. These include payment of September and October salaries at the new rate, a time-bound plan for settling salary arrears covering January to August 2026, and the release of all withheld salaries.

The union is also demanding the establishment of a committee to conduct elections for heads of department, cancellation of examinations and postgraduate defences conducted during the strike, and a formal guarantee that members will not face victimisation for participating in the industrial action.

Other demands include written commitments with clear deadlines for settling outstanding postgraduate allowances, pension-related obligations and earned academic allowances.

Oguji said the union had written seven letters to the university administration and held two engagements with management before commencing the strike. It also sent three letters to the Governing Council and participated in two engagements with relevant stakeholders, but the efforts failed to produce an acceptable resolution.

The chairman noted that other universities involved in similar disputes had resolved their issues, while IMSU remained affected by the strike. He also criticised the university management’s decision to begin second-semester examinations for the 2025/2026 academic session on Monday while the industrial action remained unresolved.

According to the union, non-academic and casual staff had been engaged to conduct examinations. ASUU-IMSU argued that the arrangement did not amount to a genuine restoration of normal academic activities. It also rejected an alleged claim by the university management to the Visitor that the lecturers were not on strike.

Oguji said an expanded management meeting on August 27 led to the formation of a committee to address the dispute, but progress stalled after the committee indicated that it could consider only certain aspects of the agreement. Subsequent meetings with the Governing Council’s subcommittee on ASUU on October 20 and 22 also failed to produce a concrete settlement, he added.

The union expressed further concern over the non-payment of September salaries to affected lecturers, alleging that non-academic staff had received theirs. It called for an explanation and immediate payment of the outstanding salaries.

While acknowledging the hardship the strike has caused students and parents, ASUU-IMSU maintained that conducting examinations during an unresolved dispute would not safeguard academic standards or restore confidence in the university’s processes.

The union said it remained open to peaceful negotiations but would not suspend the strike based on assurances alone. It insisted that academic activities would resume only after the 2025 agreement and outstanding welfare issues had been addressed through written commitments with clear timelines and verifiable outcomes.