… Kick over unpaid workers’ salaries, unresolved union grievances

… Demand immediate resolution of lingering industrial crisis

Students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA), Ondo State, paralyzed vehicular movement on Thursday as they barricaded major roads and the institution’s main gate while protesting against the ongoing industrial action that has kept them away from academic activities for 68 days.

The protesting students were armed with placards bearing various inscriptions such as “Every Pending Graduate, Shey Na Our Lives Be These?”, “NASU, NAAT, SSANU have Joined Strike,” and “Enough is Enough.”

They demanded the immediate resolution of the crisis and the reopening of the university over nonpayment of salaries and outstanding allowances by the institution.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and other unions within the institution had embarked on a strike over a combination of unmet financial obligations and failed government promises by the state government, primarily revolving around the non-implementation of a 2025 Federal Government agreement and unpaid staff salaries.

Addressing newsmen at the protest ground, the SUG president, Comrade Folagbade Greatness Ayoola, narrated the students’ frustration, stating that the union had exhausted dialogue channels.

“We cannot keep silent because we are really facing challenges in our university. Imagine students having to pay school fees while lecturers’ salaries are not being paid.

ASUU had demands before the government, but after a series of meetings and the failure to get the necessary response, the union embarked on an indefinite strike,” Ayoola said.

He emphasized the students’ resolve to sustain the protest until a concrete solution is achieved, noting that promises without action were no longer tenable.

“We will continue to protest and use every legitimate means possible to ensure that our voices are heard,” he added.

The SUG General Secretary, Oluwatimileyin Amos, stressed the hardship and uncertainty the strike has inflicted on the student body, stating that the prolonged stay at home has placed students in a dilemma, particularly those expecting to graduate.

“We have been on strike for 68 days now, and something needs to be done. We need an immediate resolution and action because our students are suffering,” Amos stated.

He added that the crisis has caused immense hardship for pending graduates whose examinations are approaching, as students remain unsure whether to remain at home or return to campus.

The Students’ Senate President, Comrade Adebiyi Kehinde, confirmed that the union had previously engaged the university management and other stakeholders in efforts to resolve the crisis but had yet to achieve the desired result.

He appealed to the government to do the needful while also urging students to remain peaceful in their agitation.