ESUT Lecturers Threaten Indefinite Strike Over Unpaid Arrears

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Nsukka Zone, has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology if the Enugu State Government fails to implement the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government agreement on lecturers’ remuneration by the end of July.

The union, which represents over 1,000 lecturers at ESUT, claims that the state government has failed to pay lecturers their rightful remunerations since January 2026. According to the union, this has led to a significant decline in staff morale and the institution’s ability to attract and retain qualified academics.

The union’s zonal coordinator, Prof. Christian Opata, stated that ESUT lecturers are currently the least paid among public universities in the country. He noted that this is affecting the institution’s ability to compete with other universities in terms of attracting top academics.

Opata added that the 2025 agreement between ASUU and the Federal Government took effect in January after it was unveiled on January 14, 2026. He stated that the National Universities Commission had communicated the agreement to all state governments, while vice-chancellors also transmitted the document to their respective governments for implementation.

However, Opata claimed that ESUT remains the only university in the ASUU Nsukka Zone yet to implement the agreement. He expressed concern that this is despite available revenue figures showing that the state has the financial capacity to implement the agreement.

The union has given the state government an ultimatum to implement the agreement by the end of July, warning that any failure to do so will lead to an indefinite strike.

According to Opata, other states such as Bauchi and Ogun have already commenced implementation of the agreement despite receiving lower allocations. He added that ESUT had yet to fully implement aspects of the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government agreement, including the payment of Earned Academic Allowance.

Opata dismissed claims that inadequate funding was responsible for the delay, insisting that available revenue figures showed the state had the financial capacity to implement the agreement.

The union has appealed to Governor Peter Mbah, members of the university’s Governing Council, traditional rulers, opinion leaders and other stakeholders to intervene and prevent a disruption of academic activities.

The union has also called on the state government to provide a concrete timeline for the implementation of the agreement, warning that any failure to do so will lead to an indefinite strike.