Ondo ASUU Presses Aiyedatiwa for FG Agreement Implementation

The Akure Zonal Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a strong appeal to the Ondo State Government, urging it to uphold and implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement across all state-owned higher institutions.

According to the university lecturers, the state government has allegedly failed to activate the financial aspects of the agreement, despite six months passing since its official commencement.

Speaking to journalists on Wednesday at the University of Medical Sciences in Ondo town, Adeola Egbedokun, the Akure Zonal Coordinator for ASUU, voiced his concerns. He characterized the Ondo government's prolonged inaction as detrimental, impacting both the well-being of lecturers and the overall quality of tertiary education within the state.

Egbedokun claimed that the state government, despite being fully informed about the agreement's terms and its obligations, has neglected to adopt and implement its provisions. This, he stated, has resulted in lecturers being denied their rightful entitlements, with arrears continuing to accumulate.

He further clarified that the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement, which was officially signed on December 23, 2025, and took effect from January 1, 2026, marks the first comprehensive accord between the Federal Government and ASUU since the significant 2009 pact. The financial components of this agreement, as detailed by Egbedokun, encompass the Consolidated Academic and Research Allowance (CARA), Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), and Professorial Allowance.

The labour leader highlighted a crucial concession made by the union: "The union has agreed to forfeit over N100 billion in accumulated EAA arrears owed by the Federal Government on the condition that the allowance would be mainstreamed into lecturers’ monthly salaries at 10 per cent of their basic pay." He lamented that, "Regrettably, up till today, the Ondo State Government has failed to implement this agreement." Egbedokun stressed that these provisions were meticulously negotiated to improve staff welfare, foster academic excellence and productivity in research, and elevate the standard of university education nationwide.

He strongly asserted that there is "no justification for the delay, because the state governments possess the authority, responsibility and financial capacity to implement the agreement." Egbedokun pointed out that Ondo, being a prominent oil-producing state in the South-West and a beneficiary of the 13 percent derivation fund, should have been among the pioneering states to comply with the agreement's terms.

Furthermore, Egbedokun condemned the state government's decision to establish a committee to review an agreement that had already been thoroughly negotiated. He maintained that such a review process was entirely unnecessary, especially since representatives from state-owned universities were active participants in the negotiations that led to the pact.

He questioned the rationale behind the delay, stating, "What is required is implementation, not prolonged committee engagements that merely postpone government action while lecturers continue to suffer. If the Federal Government has already signed and implemented the agreement and several states have commenced implementation, what exactly is Ondo State constituting another committee for?" Egbedokun concluded with a warning, declaring, "Failure to act with the urgency demanded by this situation will leave ASUU with no option but to activate all lawful and legitimate actions available within the framework of a trade union to press home its demands."

In response to ASUU's demands, Professor Igbekele Ajibefun, the Ondo State Commissioner for Education, Science and Technology, affirmed that the state government is actively working towards the implementation of the agreement. However, he noted that Ondo is not unique in its delay, as many other states are also yet to fully implement the accord.

"I am sure that very soon, Ondo State government will take action on it," Professor Ajibefun stated. He added, "I also want you to know that the agreement was signed by FG with ASUU and to be domesticated by state governments, most state governments have not also implemented it, so, it’s not just Ondo state." The Commissioner further remarked, "The zone which Ondo State belongs in ASUU, none of the state has implemented the agreement but Ondo State is working on the implementation. Ondo State has already taken proactive action on implementation."

The implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU Agreement has become a contentious issue between university lecturers and various state governments. While the Federal Government and ASUU formally signed the agreement in December 2025, its application in state-owned universities mandates individual state governments to adopt and fund its provisions. The agreement aims to improve academic staff welfare through measures such as integrating the Earned Academic Allowance into monthly salaries and providing the Consolidated Academic and Research Allowance and Professorial Allowance. While some states have commenced partial implementation, others' delays have led ASUU chapters to escalate their calls for full compliance.