The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has issued a directive for all branches of the union nationwide to withdraw their services due to the delay in paying its members’ June 2025 salaries, citing the enforcement of the “No Pay, No Work” resolution.
ASUU branches at two federal universities, the University of Jos and the University of Abuja, have already begun strike action in response to the mandate.
President of ASUU, Prof. Chris Piwuna, confirmed the development to Tribune Online on Monday in Abuja, saying the institutions are simply enforcing the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) resolution that any month in which salaries are delayed by more than three days, members should withdraw their services until the salaries are paid.
Piwuna bemoaned government officials’ indifference to the issue of academics’ pay, which he described as low.
He added that since the transition of university employees from the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System (IPPIS) to the Government Integrated Financial Management Information System (GIFMIS), union members have faced severe hardship as a result of salary delays.
He said that the union’s leadership attempted to contact relevant government officials, including the Minister of Education and the Accountant General of the Federation, but received no good response. As a result, the ASUU National Executive Committee decided to apply the “No Pay, No Work” policy.
He said, “What they are doing is just enforcing an NEC resolution. We have agreed at NEC that our members are going through a lot since our migration out of the Integrated Personnel Payroll and Information System. Certainly, our salaries are delayed for a week and sometimes 10 days before our members receive the paltry amount we get to help us carry out our duties well.
“Therefore, we agreed that if there is no pay, there will be no work,” Piwuna said.
Speaking on whether other universities are joining the strike action, the ASUU President said all institutions that have not been paid are expected to withdraw their services, insisting that this was the resolution at NEC and the only way to address the challenge, which he noted is being deliberately caused by some government officials, especially at the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
He stated that any institution that has not been paid will join the action because “we are tired of talking about this”.
“We have spoken to the relevant authorities—the minister is aware, the Office of the Accountant General is aware.
All those concerned are aware that this thing has been happening. We’ve had meetings with them to express our dissatisfaction with the way our salaries are being paid, and they have not taken any action. We want to work, but we cannot because they have not allowed us to work,” he stated.
Piwuna emphasised that the administration has no legitimate explanation for the delay in wage payments because the payment platform is functioning properly.
According to him, when the money finally reaches the colleges, no one has complained about being underpaid or not receiving their compensation.
“So, the platform through which the payment is effected has not been the problem. It’s just a deliberate effort by the Office of the Accountant General to delay the release of the funds. The platform is working well, but those who make it work are not willing to make it work. We think it’s a deliberate act; that is the point we are making,” the ASUU President added.
He did, however, remark that salary delays are the most pressing issue for union members, and he urged that the government should release the outstanding N10 billion Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) as soon as possible to avert another round of strikes.
He pointed out that the federal government was scheduled to pay academics ₦50 billion in overdue EAA but only released ₦40 billion, leaving a balance of ₦10 billion.
“On the EAA you talked about, the total amount was N50 billion, and what they gave to us is N40 billion. N10 billion is still outstanding. We hope that this is paid quickly so that we do not have to fight over it,” the ASUU President said.
Jurbe Molwus, chairman of the University of Jos branch of ASUU, said that union members at the university will quit their services, citing a delay in the payment of their June 2025 salary.
Molwus stated that this followed a National Executive Council resolution urging branches to take action if salaries are not paid by the third day of a new month, as well as a congressional affirmation of the position. He stated that union members had boycotted lectures and statutory meetings.
The chairman went on to say that if salaries are not paid by the third of the month, academics will withdraw their services indefinitely.
He also stated that the branch’s strike monitoring team has been engaged to ensure compliance.
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Abuja chapter, also withdrew their services on Monday due to the delay in payment of their June 2025 salary, according to the Nigerian Tribune.
Dr Sylvanus Ugoh, chairman of the UniAbuja branch of ASUU, did not reply to calls seeking to confirm his colleagues’ strike action.
When contacted, the University of Abuja spokesperson, Dr Habib Yakoob, stated that he was unable to comment on the matter and suggested that the question be sent to the branch chairman of ASUU.
