ASUU Shuts Down ABSU Indefinitely Over Unpaid Salaries, Allowances

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abia State University (ABSU) branch, has commenced an indefinite strike over unpaid salaries, allowances, promotion benefits and other unresolved welfare demands.

The industrial action took effect on Tuesday, August 11, 2026, following a congress of the union held at the university’s Pre-Science Block in Uturu.

In a statement after the congress, ASUU-ABSU Chairman, Dr. Chidi S. Mba, and Secretary, Dr. Victor U. Obisike, said the decision followed what they described as the failure of the university authorities and Abia State Government to implement agreements reached with the union.

According to the union, the ASUU National Executive Council (NEC), after reviewing reports from the branch and zonal structures, directed academic staff to withdraw their services after several attempts at resolving the disputes through dialogue yielded no meaningful results.

Mba said the union had engaged the university’s Governing Council, Pro-Chancellor, Vice-Chancellor and state government representatives through letters, meetings and consultations, but the outstanding issues remained unresolved.

He recalled that the branch congress had, on July 8, given the university management and state government until July 22 to address the issues, warning that failure to meet the deadline would result in industrial action.

A major concern raised by the union is the salary structure for academic staff. Mba alleged that ABSU remained the only university in the ASUU Calabar Zone still paying lecturers under the 2009 salary structure, despite deductions from their salaries being made in line with the 2024 tax regime.

He said the 2025 salary agreement had been transmitted to state governments by the National Universities Commission (NUC), while ASUU branches had also forwarded the agreement through their respective vice-chancellors.

The union also accused the authorities of failing to financially implement promotions earned by academic staff.

Mba said promotion exercises had been completed and letters issued to affected staff, but many lecturers had allegedly remained on their former salary grades for over two years.

He cited cases of lecturers promoted to the rank of Professor allegedly still receiving salaries applicable to Senior Lecturers, while promoted Senior Lecturers continued to receive salaries attached to lower ranks.

The ASUU chairman described the situation as demoralising, saying members were being denied the financial benefits attached to promotions they had earned.

The union listed seven major demands behind the strike. They are:

1. Payment of omitted salaries owed affected members.
2. Proper placement of staff on their appropriate salary levels following promotions and immediate payment of the associated financial benefits.
3. Payment of 11 months’ outstanding check-off dues deducted from members.
4. Implementation of the 2025 CATA salary structure for academic staff.
5. Implementation, payment and mainstreaming of the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA).
6. Payment of Professorial Allowance.
7. Remittance of about ₦165 million deducted from staff salaries to the ASUU Cooperative Society.

The union said its current executive, which assumed office in 2023, had prioritised dialogue and constructive engagement with the authorities in an effort to prevent disruption of academic activities.

It, however, said repeated assurances had not translated into concrete action, adding that members had reached the limit of their patience.

ASUU-ABSU consequently directed all academic staff to withdraw their services completely until the outstanding issues were satisfactorily resolved.

The union appealed to the university authorities and the Abia State Government to urgently intervene, stressing that its demands were largely based on existing agreements and entitlements already earned by its members.