ASUU-ESUT goes on two-week strike over FG’s unfulfilled promises

…vows to sanction members who violate the order

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) chapter has declared a two-week warning strike over unpaid allowances and alleged failure to implement the government’s agreement with the union.

Andrew Apeh, the acting chairperson of the ASUU-ESUT branch, who announced the strike over the weekend during a media briefing at the end of the union’s congress, said the lecturers have been pushed to the wall by what it described as continued non-implementation of the FGN-ASUU agreement.

“You will recall that this union issued a one-month ultimatum on June 30, demanding the immediate implementation of the FGN-ASUU renegotiated 2025 agreement in ESUT on or before July 31, 2026.

” Today, August 14, there has been zero reflection of that agreement in ESUT. Management has chosen misinformation, confusion and inaction over genuine dialogues and proper solutions,” Apeh said.

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Besides, he explained that after several approaches towards dialogue have failed, and exhaustive deliberations at the union’s congress held July 14 to 25, 2026, and pursuant to the directives and approval of the National Executive Council (NEC), of the union, the lecturers were left with no other option than to down tools.

Apeh, directed that all academic activities in ESUT should be shut down from Friday, August 14, 2026 till the expiration of the warning strike, warning that the union would not hesitate to sanction any member who violates the directive.

The ASUU-ESUT leader warned that during the warning strike, there would be no lectures,  examinations, supervision or project defense, statutory meetings, and departmental activities.

Hence, he called on all the ASUU members and lecturers in ESUT  to stay away from the university campuses both at Agbani and Enugu during the duration of the strike.

To ensure effective implementation, Apeh said that the union had inaugurated a monitoring team to ensure full compliance, and warned that any member of the union found within the school premises or engaging in any academic activity during this period shall be recorded as an enemy and dealt with in accordance with the union’s disciplinary provisions.

He emphasised that ASUU members in ESUT were not on strike because the lecturers love it, but because they have been pushed to the wall.

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Apeh, however, appealed to Peter Mbah, Enugu State governor’s administration, ESUT council, and management to understand that their patience has expired, and called on all stakeholders to intervene immediately to save ESUT from total collapse.

Citing some of the unfulfilled promises, he mentioned the unpaid earned academic allowance (EAA) since 2009, and over 17 years of unpaid arrears, among others, as the reasons for the industrial action.
These, he said, have continued to make life unbearable for ASUU-ESUT members.