Lecturers at Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, joined colleagues nationwide on Wednesday in protesting the Federal Government’s failure to endorse the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement.
The demonstration, which took place on the university campus, brought academic activities to a halt as members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) expressed their frustration over the delay.
Comrade Boluwaji Oshodi, Chairman of ASUU-AAUA, said the Federal Government would bear responsibility if another crisis erupts in the country’s public universities.
“All we are talking about now is just signing so that we move forward. It is about collective bargaining. This agreement has been drafted, it has been reached by a committee properly constituted by the federal government. So we don’t understand what is going on and we have done virtually everything,” Oshodi said during the protest.
He described the union as a peaceful body, stressing that protests are only considered after all avenues for reconciliation have been exhausted.
“If you must know, the union is a very peaceful union. Before the union decides to go on anything like this, every avenue for reconciliation must have been exhausted,” he added.
Oshodi revealed that since February 2025, the union has engaged in extensive dialogue with the government to ensure the agreement’s implementation, but little progress has been made.
The ASUU-AAUA leader explained that the demonstration aimed to raise public awareness about the potential crisis facing the nation’s education sector, reiterating that the union’s sole demand is for the Federal Government to promptly sign the agreement without further delay.