AAUA lecturers strike over unpaid salaries stalls resumption, convocation; students and parents express frustration as government promises resolution.
The atmosphere at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, has been thrown into tension as lecturers under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) threaten to intensify their ongoing strike.
They warn that unless the government clears the backlog of unpaid salaries and arrears, both the long-awaited resumption of students and the upcoming convocation ceremony will be disrupted.
The AAUA lecturers strike began last month after staff declared that they could no longer endure months of withheld entitlements.
Since then, academic life on campus has ground to a halt—lecture halls are locked, examinations suspended, and students left stranded without direction.
For many, the disruption has once again underscored the fragility of Nigeria’s university system, where industrial disputes are now a recurring reality.
Speaking on behalf of the union, AAUA ASUU Chairman, Dr. Boluwaji Oshodi, voiced the frustration of his members.
He said lecturers had demonstrated extraordinary patience, yet the state government had failed to respond meaningfully.
“We have been patient and tolerant for too long, but the situation has become unbearable.
“Our members have been conducting examinations on empty stomachs. Now, there is no evidence that the government is ready to pay what is owed. We have been pushed to the wall,” Oshodi said firmly.
He explained that repeated efforts to engage with Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa had failed. According to him, letters and requests for dialogue were ignored, further eroding trust.
The union, he emphasized, was no longer interested in promises but in concrete actions that would restore dignity to academic staff.
For many students, the ongoing strike has created feelings of despair and uncertainty.
“We are tired of staying at home. Every strike pushes our graduation further away. Our parents are also suffering financially because we keep paying for extended accommodation,” said a 300-level student of Political Science who preferred anonymity.
Another final-year student expressed fears that the convocation might be postponed indefinitely.
“It is heartbreaking. We have worked hard for years, and now our graduation is being threatened,” she lamented.
Parents have equally voiced their frustration. A guardian whose child is in 200 level described the development as exhausting.
“We are sacrificing so much to keep our children in school, only for the system to keep failing them. The government and lecturers must resolve this quickly. The children are the ones paying the price,” he said.
Despite the anger from staff and students, the Ondo State Government has denied abandoning AAUA.
Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, Prof. Igbekele Ajibefun, maintained that Governor Aiyedatiwa’s administration had consistently released monthly subventions to all state-owned tertiary institutions, including AAUA.
He assured the public that negotiations were ongoing with the union to find a resolution.
“The state government is committed to the welfare of workers. Subventions are being released regularly, and we are not insensitive to the concerns of the lecturers.
“Discussions are underway, and we are optimistic the issues will soon be resolved,” Prof. Ajibefun stated.
Nevertheless, lecturers insist that subventions alone are not enough to address the backlog of arrears.
They argue that while government highlights funding, the reality on the ground shows salaries remain unpaid and conditions deteriorating.
“We are not asking for luxury. We are asking for what we have already worked for,” Dr. Oshodi reiterated.
The strike has also raised questions about the future of the university’s convocation ceremony, a symbolic event where students, parents, and the state celebrate years of academic achievement.
With lecturers vowing not to participate unless salaries are settled, the ceremony faces possible postponement or outright cancellation.
Observers describe this as a painful development for graduating students who have endured repeated delays in their academic journey.
Beyond the immediate crisis, the AAUA lecturers strike highlights the chronic underfunding of tertiary education in Nigeria.
Across several states, universities are battling similar challenges—irregular salaries, poor infrastructure, and limited research support.
Analysts warn that unless systemic reforms are introduced, strikes will continue to erode confidence in the sector and push students into prolonged, uncertain academic timelines.
Civil society organizations and education advocacy groups in Ondo have urged both parties to return to the negotiation table.
They argue that prolonged strikes serve no one’s interest, and dialogue remains the only sustainable path to peace.
“The government should prioritize education as a non-negotiable investment, while ASUU should keep channels of negotiation open.
“Students cannot continue to suffer because of financial disagreements,” said one advocacy leader in Akure.
The crisis has also drawn attention on social media, where students share their frustrations using hashtags calling for urgent resolution.
Many argue that education should be insulated from politics and funding delays, stressing that the human cost of each strike is too high.
At present, the stalemate continues. While government assures the public that talks are ongoing, lecturers insist they will not resume until concrete action is taken.
Students and parents remain in limbo, waiting anxiously for a breakthrough that would allow normal academic life to return.
The AAUA lecturers strike has thus become more than a dispute over salaries; it is a reflection of Nigeria’s broader struggle with managing its education sector.
For the lecturers, it is about dignity and survival. For the government, it is about balancing limited resources with growing demands.
For the students and parents, it is about time lost, dreams deferred, and the constant fear that education may never again run smoothly in the country’s universities.
Until decisive steps are taken, Adekunle Ajasin University will remain silent, its classrooms empty, and its convocation uncertain—an unfortunate reminder of how unresolved disputes continue to hold back the aspirations of thousands of young Nigerians.
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