The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abia State University (ABSU) chapter, has rejected the suspension of one of its members, Professor Nnamdi Nwaeze, insisting that the disciplinary action must be reversed before the union will consider ending its indefinite strike.
The chapter chairman, Dr. Chidi Mbah, said the union had made its position clear during a meeting with the university management, stressing that ASUU would not accept the suspension under any circumstances.
Mbah argued that if there were grounds for disciplinary action against Nwaeze, the university should have followed the procedures stipulated in its enabling edict.
“For us in ASUU, we did not see anything wrong with what Prof. Nwaeze did,” Mbah said, adding that alleged previous offences attributed to the lecturer were neither brought before the union nor known to it.
He maintained that any earlier misconduct should have been addressed when it occurred rather than being used as a basis for the present suspension.
The ASUU chairman also confirmed the allegations contained in Nwaeze’s Facebook post concerning lecturers’ salaries and welfare, saying they were accurate.
According to him, ABSU lecturers are still being paid under the 2009 ASUU-Federal Government salary structure, while promoted academics are allegedly not placed on their appropriate salary scales.
He further alleged that lecturers currently receive only half of their salaries, while the university’s cooperative funds, amounting to about N473 million, were deducted but not remitted.
Mbah said the cooperative funds issue began under a previous administration but remained unresolved, stressing that “government is a continuum.”
He disclosed that salary arrears affecting lecturers were widespread, with some owed between two and three months, while others were allegedly owed as much as 44 months.
According to him, out of about 557 lecturers, excluding those employed in 2026, many have outstanding salary payments ranging from 17 to 35 months. “It is not just one person, or 20, or 30. They are many,” he said.
The ASUU-ABSU chapter commenced an indefinite, total and comprehensive strike on Tuesday, August 11, following approval from the union’s national leadership after a National Executive Council meeting.
Mbah clarified that the strike began before Nwaeze made the Facebook post that attracted the university’s disciplinary action. He said Nwaeze published the post on Wednesday morning, August 12, and was suspended later that same day.
According to him, the national ASUU leadership directed the ABSU chapter to resist the suspension, adding that the union had informed the state government that the strike would not be suspended until Nwaeze was reinstated, even if other demands were addressed.
At a meeting with government officials on Friday, the state government reportedly distanced itself from the suspension, saying it did not direct the Vice-Chancellor to suspend the lecturer and that the university management should be held responsible. The Vice-Chancellor was present at the meeting.
Mbah said ASUU insisted on the immediate reversal of the suspension. He described the discussions as initially discouraging but said the atmosphere became more positive after the union pressed its demand.
He disclosed that government officials indicated that a response would be provided before the union’s planned congress on Tuesday.
The congress is expected to consider any offer from government before determining the next course of action.
Mbah, however, declined to disclose the details of the government’s offer, saying the information would first be presented to members at the congress.
The union leader expressed concern that Nwaeze’s suspension could intimidate other lecturers from speaking publicly about their working conditions and welfare.
“The suspension is a serious threat, and we must resist it. As ASUU, we will not accept anything that undermines our freedom or the autonomy of the university,” he said.
Mbah said he had spoken with Nwaeze several times and had forwarded the suspension letter to the union’s national headquarters.
He also painted a difficult picture of the financial condition of lecturers, saying their salaries were inadequate to meet basic needs.
According to him, some lecturers struggle to afford transportation to and from the university, while others face difficulties paying their children’s school fees.
He said the university had previously operated a system under which school fees could be deducted from lecturers’ salaries but that the arrangement was discontinued.
ASUU is demanding the restoration of the policy.
The union is also demanding payment of the Earned Academic Allowance, which Mbah said ABSU lecturers had never received despite repeated engagements with the authorities.
He said the welfare issues had been discussed with government since 2023, with several agreements reached but not implemented.
Mbah disclosed that the union had attended more than 30 meetings in Umuahia and eventually issued a 14-day ultimatum before commencing the current strike.
He said Governor Alex Otti approved the union’s demands on April 29, but implementation had yet to commence.
According to him, the delay could be linked to administrative bottlenecks involving the governor’s aides, the Head of Service and the Accountant-General.
Mbah dismissed allegations that the strike was politically motivated or sponsored by opposition elements.
He said ASUU had given the government sufficient time to resolve the issues and had repeatedly engaged relevant authorities. “All we are saying is simple: pay us what is due,” he said.
He added that both the Commissioner for Tertiary Education and the Secretary to the State Government had acknowledged in writing that the union’s demands were genuine and that the strike was justified.
Mbah urged ASUU members to remain calm, assuring them that the union leadership understood their difficulties and remained committed to the struggle.
“We are not going to back out,” he said, maintaining that after exhausting dialogue, diplomacy and other avenues of engagement, withdrawal of services had become the union’s only remaining option.
ASUU-ABSU is expected to review the government’s response at its congress on Tuesday and determine whether the strike will continue or whether any progress has been made towards resolving the dispute.
