By Vincent Ujumadu
The Owerri Zone of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the governors of Anambra and Imo states, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo and Senator Hope Uzodinma, of failing to implement the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU agreement aimed at improving lecturers’ welfare and the quality of university education.
Speaking at a press conference at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, the ASUU Owerri Zone Coordinator, Prof. Dennis Aribodor, lamented that more than five months after implementation of the agreement began nationwide, the two state-owned universities in the zone were yet to comply.
The affected institutions are Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), owned by the Anambra State Government, and Imo State University (IMSU), owned by the Imo State Government.
Aribodor said both universities had submitted the 2025 FG-ASUU agreement to their respective administrations in February 2026, in line with a directive from the union’s National Executive Council (NEC).
According to him, the National Universities Commission (NUC) had also forwarded the agreement to the governors, who serve as Visitors to the universities, as well as to their vice-chancellors.
“Our branches in COOU and IMSU complied with the directive of the National Executive Council by submitting the agreement to their university administrations. Despite this demonstration of good faith and sustained engagement with the governing councils and management, implementation has not commenced in either institution,” he said.
He noted that while several state governments, including Bauchi, Benue, Ekiti, Ogun, Osun and Sokoto, had begun implementing the agreement, Anambra and Imo had yet to take similar action.
Aribodor called on traditional and religious institutions, civil society organisations, parents, student groups and other stakeholders to prevail on both governors to commence implementation of the agreement to preserve industrial harmony.
“Continued delay serves no useful purpose and only heightens industrial tension in the affected universities,” he said.
He warned that ASUU could no longer watch while its members in state-owned universities continued to endure poor welfare conditions.
According to him, Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University currently receives about ₦180 million monthly from the state government, whereas some states allocate as much as ₦600 million monthly for university staff salaries alone.
“I don’t know why Anambra and Imo states should wait until there is industrial unrest before taking action,” he said, recalling that it took a strike before the two states implemented the 2009 FG-ASUU agreement.
Aribodor also attributed the growing exodus of lecturers from universities in the South-East to poor funding and inadequate welfare.
Also speaking, the ASUU Chairman of COOU, Comrade Ibekilo Bruno, said the university requires about ₦300 million monthly to pay academic staff salaries.
His counterpart at Imo State University, Comrade Stephen Oguji, said IMSU would need about ₦1 billion to adequately address the welfare needs of both academic and non-academic staff.
Oguji described the situation in the university as pitiable, alleging that all financial expenditures are controlled by the state government through a single account, leaving the university management with little financial autonomy.
