Posted by Chinenye on Tue 28th Jul, 2026 - tori.ng
Just as hopes of ending the ongoing strike begin to rise, lecturers have issued another warning that could disrupt academic activities even further.
(ASUU. Photo by Premuim Times)
The Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has cautioned that settling lecturers' backlog of salaries will not be enough to stave off another strike unless the Ondo State Government fully implements the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU agreement.
The union said it had concluded internal arrangements for a fresh industrial action and was now waiting on clearance from its national body, adding that the action, if approved, could affect all three state-owned tertiary institutions in Ondo State.
Lecturers at AAUA have been on an open-ended strike since July 10 over unpaid wages.
Speaking on Monday, the AAUA ASUU Chairman, Dr. Boluwaji Oshodi, said the union understood that Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had approved funds to clear the salary backlog, but stressed that the strike would only be called off once members actually saw evidence of payment in their accounts.
He explained that the union does not rely on assurances but acts strictly on confirmed outcomes, and that members would remain unconvinced until alerts reflecting the payment were received.
He disclosed that academic staff are currently being owed for May, June and July.
Beyond the wage dispute, Oshodi revealed that the union was also gearing up for a separate strike centred on the state government's failure to implement the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government agreement, warning that this action could be triggered at any time even if the ongoing salary-related strike is called off.
According to him, the anticipated action would not be limited to AAUA alone but would also draw in the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology (OAUSTECH) and the University of Medical Sciences (UNIMED), with all three institutions expected to down tools simultaneously.
He described the scale of such a joint strike as likely to be severe.
He further noted that the agreement, which came into force in January 2026, has already been rolled out in federal universities and a number of state-owned institutions, leaving lecturers in Ondo State's tertiary institutions feeling shortchanged by comparison.
Meanwhile, AAUA management said Governor Aiyedatiwa had approved a special intervention fund to help the institution meet its financial commitments, and appealed to students to stay calm as arrangements for the payments are finalised.