ASUU Accuses IMSU Management of Withholding ‘True Situation’ From Uzodinma, Demands Urgent Intervention

By Praise Chinecherem

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Owerri Zone, has accused the management of Imo State University (IMSU), Owerri, of allegedly failing to present the “true position” of the institution to Governor Hope Uzodinma, as the lecturers’ strike enters its 37th day.

The union is demanding an urgent roundtable involving the governor, university management, the Governing Council and ASUU to resolve the dispute over the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU Agreement and address what it described as deeper administrative and staffing challenges at the university.

The 2025 FGN–ASUU agreement took effect from January 1, 2026, with provisions covering academic staff remuneration, research funding, welfare and university autonomy. The National Universities Commission (NUC) inaugurated an implementation monitoring committee in June 2026 to track compliance with the agreement.

In a statement issued on Thursday, the Owerri Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Prof. Dennis Aribodor, said the dispute at IMSU centres on the university’s alleged failure to implement the agreement.

“Today marks the 37th day the Imo State University lecturers have been on strike. The bone of contention is the implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement,” Aribodor said.

According to him, necessary communications on the agreement had been transmitted to relevant authorities, including the university management, Governing Council and the Visitor, Governor Uzodinma, but implementation had yet to commence at IMSU.

ASUU alleged that the university administration might not have adequately briefed the governor on the situation at the institution.

“Information available to us indicates that the Imo State University Administration may not have availed you, the Visitor to the University, the true position of things in the University,” the union said.

The union further claimed that more than 50 casual workers were being engaged as lecturers, allegedly earning about N50,000 monthly.

ASUU also questioned the status of examinations reportedly taking place at the university during the strike, arguing that such examinations did not meet the standards expected of the institution.

“Another truth is that the purported examination going on in IMSU does not qualify as an examination,” the union alleged.

The claims could not independently establish the status of the examinations or the employment arrangements cited by the union.

Beyond the immediate strike, ASUU raised concerns about the university’s staffing levels, alleging that there had been no recruitment of academic staff for more than a decade.

The union claimed that the last recruitment exercise was conducted in 2014, and that the academic staff strength had subsequently fallen from more than 1,000 to about 500 as a result of migration, retirement and death.

“That last recruitment exercise was carried out in 2014. The academic staff strength has seriously gone down from over 1,000 to about 500 owing to migration, retirement and death. This is a very terrible situation,” Aribodor said.

The union also claimed that several state governments had commenced implementation of the 2025 agreement, while urging the Imo State Government to take similar steps at IMSU.

The agreement, signed after prolonged renegotiation between the Federal Government and ASUU, provides for a 40 per cent upward review of academic staff remuneration and other measures relating to university funding, research, welfare and institutional autonomy.

ASUU’s call comes amid continuing disagreements nationally over the pace and extent of implementation of the agreement, with the union recently raising concerns about outstanding obligations and warning of possible further industrial action if issues remain unresolved.

Aribodor appealed to Governor Uzodinma, as Visitor to IMSU, to convene a meeting with all relevant stakeholders.

“Our appeal as ASUU Owerri Zone is to call you, as the Visitor of Imo State University, to summon the University Administration and the Governing Council as well as ASUU to a round table to be fully briefed on the very ugly situation in the University,” he said.

He said such an intervention would help resolve the immediate industrial dispute and address what the union described as broader challenges threatening the effective functioning of the university.

“Charity begins at home,” the ASUU zonal coordinator added.

As of Thursday, the union’s position was that the strike would continue until the issues surrounding implementation of the 2025 agreement and other outstanding concerns were addressed.

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