The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Ladoke Akintola University of Technology (LAUTECH) branch, Ogbomoso, has warned the Oyo State Government that continued failure to implement the December 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement and settle outstanding staff entitlements could push the university community towards industrial action.
In a strongly worded statement jointly signed by Prof Olujimi Dada and Dr Soji Arinola, chairperson and secretary respectively, and made available to journalists on Tuesday, the union said it had exhausted formal and informal channels of dialogue with the state government and was now demanding urgent action to prevent a disruption of academic activities at LAUTECH.
ASUU LAUTECH said its agitation was not driven by a desire for confrontation, stressing that it had repeatedly pursued negotiations at national, zonal and branch levels in the belief that dialogue remained the most responsible way of resolving disputes in the university system.
However, it warned that “dialogue must produce results”, arguing that repeated appeals without implementation could not constitute a sustainable industrial-relations strategy.
Agreement already approved, says union
At the centre of the dispute is the December 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement, which was reached after years of negotiations between the Federal Government and the union.
According to the LAUTECH branch, provisions of the agreement requiring domestication at the university were processed and approved by the institution’s Governing Council and brought to the attention of Governor Seyi Makinde, who is the Visitor to the University.
The union therefore insisted that the dispute was not about whether an agreement existed, but about the failure to fully implement an agreement whose financial and institutional implications had already been communicated to the relevant authorities.
ASUU said the Oyo State Government had requested details of the financial implications of implementation and that the affected tertiary institutions had submitted the required figures.
It consequently argued that the delay could no longer reasonably be attributed to a lack of information, urging the government to make a clear decision, provide the necessary funding and commence full implementation.
Promotion arrears, EAA remain unpaid
Beyond the 2025 agreement, ASUU LAUTECH said academic staff were still owed outstanding entitlements, including balances of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) and promotion arrears.
Some components of the arrears, it said, dated back several years.
The union stressed that these payments were not new benefits or discretionary rewards but entitlements arising from work already performed and obligations that had accumulated over time.
ASUU’s wider Ibadan Zone has similarly identified outstanding EAA, promotion arrears and other welfare issues as major sources of tension among academics in institutions across the zone.
Funding crisis threatens LAUTECH’s future
The LAUTECH branch also linked the dispute to what it described as inadequate and unpredictable funding of the university.
It said staff had continued to teach, supervise students, conduct research, publish academic works and sustain the academic calendar despite funding constraints, unpaid entitlements and inadequate teaching and research facilities.
The union cited LAUTECH’s national recognition, including its identification as the Best State University in Nigeria and Best University of Technology in Nigeria, as evidence of the contribution of its workers to the institution’s reputation.
It argued that such achievements had been sustained largely through the commitment and sacrifice of the university’s workforce.
“LAUTECH should not be expected to maintain world-class aspirations on inadequate funding,” the union said, warning that quality teaching, research, accreditation, technological development and international competitiveness could not be sustained without adequate financial support.
Union makes three urgent demands
ASUU LAUTECH called on the Oyo State Government to take three immediate steps.
First, it demanded the full implementation of the December 2025 FGN-ASUU agreement at LAUTECH without further delay, saying this was necessary to balance staff strength, student population, accreditation obligations and the university’s research mandate.
Second, it urged the government to direct the LAUTECH Governing Council to establish a sustainable framework for resolving the university’s funding and staff-welfare challenges.
Third, it demanded urgent action to protect the academic calendar and prevent disruption of learning by resolving the outstanding issues before they degenerate into industrial action.
The union also appealed to traditional institutions, religious bodies, alumni, students, parents, professional associations, civil society organisations, the media and other stakeholders to intervene.
It called specifically on Governor Seyi Makinde to personally intervene, arguing that the state government has both the capacity and responsibility to prevent an avoidable disruption of academic activities.
‘Strike is our last option’
Despite the increasingly forceful tone of its statement, ASUU LAUTECH said it did not desire a strike.
The union described industrial action as its “last option”, insisting that its preferred approach remained dialogue, negotiation and a mutually acceptable resolution.
It nevertheless warned that the university community could not indefinitely absorb the consequences of unimplemented agreements and accumulated entitlements while being expected to maintain academic excellence.
ASUU National and the Ibadan Zone had previously raised concerns over delayed implementation of the 2025 agreement and warned that continued inaction could disrupt academic activities.
ASUU LAUTECH concluded by stressing that its demands were ultimately about more than lecturers’ salaries.
“We seek dialogue, not confrontation. We seek implementation, not promises. We seek sustainable funding, not temporary relief. We seek industrial harmony, not industrial action,” the branch said.
