Imo: ASUU-IMSU Embarks On An Indefinite Strike

By Suleiman Anyalewechi

Academic activities have been grounded at the Imo State University ,Owerri.

The Academic Staff Union of the University, ASUU, on Friday September 20, 2024, directed its members to proceed on an indefinite industrial action to press home its demands for improved welfare and a conducive learning environment.

The strike action was preceded by a seven day final notice served on the University Management and Imo state Government, which elapsed 6pm Friday September 20.

Before then, the ASUU-IMSU, rising from its emergency Congress on July 18,2024, had issued a 21 day notice for the Management and the Imo state Government to meet its demands or face an indefinite strike action.

The demands cover issues from 2009 to date.

In a circular jointly issued by Odinakachukwu Ejiogu and Lazarus Chikwendu, Chairman and Secretary respectively, the ASUU-IMSU noted that the strike option has become the last resort after several futile efforts at peaceful resolutions.

The Union while soliciting the understanding of the public, vowed not to call off the the strike action until its demands are fully attended to.

Some of the grievances of the Union are promotion without financial benefits since 2016, the refusal of the Management to bring them at the same salary structure with their counterparts in other institutions, and undue delay in staff assessment and promotions.

The Union is also protesting against alleged selective salary payments, and non- payments of many months of arrears, non payment of Earned Academic Allowances since 2009, non remittance of Union check-off dues from 2020 to date ,non remittance of pension deductions from 2016, and the inclusion of the University in the State’s Treasury Single Account among others.