Details emerge: UNIZIK Lecturers Commence Indefinite Strike Over Partial August Pay

Academic activities at Nnamdi Azikiwe University (UNIZIK), Awka, were brought to a halt on Monday following the declaration of an indefinite strike by the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). This industrial action was initiated in response to the university administration's alleged failure to fully disburse August 2026 salaries to its members.

A press statement, released to journalists on Monday and jointly endorsed by Innocent Nnubia, the ASUU UNIZIK Chapter Chairperson, and Osita Nnajiofor, its Secretary, confirmed the union's decision. The statement indicated that the lecturers resolved to withdraw their services, citing compliance with a standing resolution from the ASUU National Executive Council (NEC) concerning unpaid salaries. The union appealed to both the university authorities and the Visitor to the university, President Bola Tinubu, to urgently intervene by ensuring the prompt and complete payment of the outstanding August 2026 salaries, and to prevent such payment delays from recurring.

The union's communique elaborated on the rationale for their action, stating, “The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU-UNIZIK Branch, at its Congress held today, Monday, September 7, 2026, resolved to withdraw her services in compliance with the standing Resolution of ASUU National Executive Council on non-payment of salaries.” The statement further clarified that the “ASUU-NEC standing Resolution empowers branches of the Union to withdraw their services when salaries are not paid after the 3rd day of the next month.”

Lecturers expressed profound frustration, noting that this was not an isolated incident. “Today is 7th September 2026 and the University has not paid complete salary for the month of August to our members,” the statement continued, adding, “This makes it more than three times that our members are having this ugly and frustrating experience.” ASUU-UNIZIK reiterated that “The sole reason for this action is the non-payment of the complete salary of August 2026.” They made a direct appeal to the “University Authorities, and Visitor (President Bola Tinubu) to urgently address the situation by ensuring the complete payment of August 2026 salary to our members and ensure that this ugly experience does not repeat itself.” The congress explicitly mandated that “all members should immediately withdraw all academic and administrative services. The withdrawal of services shall subsist until the complete payment of August 2026 salary to all members.”

Efforts to obtain a comment from the university administration proved unsuccessful. When contacted regarding the unfolding situation, Mr. Aloysius Attah, the Director of Information and Public Relations for UNIZIK, simply responded, “No comment.”