The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Port Harcourt Branch, has declared an indefinite strike over what it described as the university administration’s failure to address outstanding salary payments and responsibility allowances owed to its members.

The branch announced the strike on Wednesday, September 16, 2026, following an emergency congress at which members resolved to commence the industrial action after the expiration of a deadline issued to the university administration.

In a statement signed by the branch secretary, Comrade Tarila Amakoromo, ASUU said the decision followed the administration’s failure to resolve issues concerning the incomplete payment of three months’ salaries, responsibility allowances and other outstanding financial obligations to lecturers.

According to the union, lecturers were yet to receive their full salaries for June, July and August 2026, while payments of responsibility allowances to some members also remained incomplete.

The union further alleged that members of the School of Health Sciences under the Consolidated Medical Salary Structure (CONMESS) and Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS) had not been paid responsibility allowances.

ASUU also raised concerns over what it described as the sidelining of its members in the monthly payment of responsibility allowances to members of other unions, alleging that its members had been excluded from such payments for more than two years.

The union said the issues were among matters considered at its emergency congress held on Friday, September 11, where members adopted a resolution demanding urgent action by the university administration.

It said the administration met with the union on the same day and promised to respond to the demands within the period set by the congress.

However, ASUU said the administration failed to meet the deadline despite the commitment made during the meeting.

The union said the congress had given the administration 48 working hours to address the issues, with the deadline expiring at midnight on Tuesday, September 15.

It warned that failure to resolve the outstanding matters by the deadline would trigger an indefinite local strike backed by the national body of ASUU.

With the administration’s failure to meet the demands within the stipulated period, the branch said its emergency congress on Wednesday resolved to commence the indefinite industrial action.

The union said the strike would affect lecturers’ participation in academic and official activities across the university.

“For the avoidance of doubt, members of ASUU are not supposed to give lectures or examinations, invigilate examinations, participate in any official assignment or statutory meetings during the strike action,” the statement said.

The branch also disclosed that a Strike Monitoring Team had been constituted to monitor compliance with the directive across the university’s campuses and centres.

The latest development places the university community on a fresh industrial dispute over the payment of salaries and allowances to academic staff.

ASUU ended the statement with its familiar solidarity refrain: “United we bargain, divided we beg! Aluta Continua!”