The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Nsukka Zone, has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) if the Enugu State Government fails to begin implementing the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government agreement by the end of July 2026.
Addressing journalists on Tuesday, the Zonal Coordinator of ASUU Nsukka Zone, Professor Christian Opata, expressed concern over what he described as the state’s continued failure to implement the agreement, six months after it took effect in January 2026.
Opata said the union convened the briefing to draw attention to what it considers a looming industrial crisis capable of disrupting academic activities at ESUT.
According to him, the 2025 agreement, which followed prolonged negotiations between ASUU and the Federal Government, was officially unveiled on January 14, 2026, and subsequently transmitted to state governments through the National Universities Commission (NUC) for implementation.
He lamented that ESUT remains the only university within the ASUU Nsukka Zone yet to implement the agreement, despite repeated engagements with the state government.
The ASUU leader also dismissed any suggestion that funding constraints were responsible for the delay, arguing that available revenue records showed that Enugu State had received substantial federal allocations in 2026, while some states with lower allocations had already commenced implementation.
Opata further accused the state government of failing to honour previous agreements with the union, noting that ESUT was yet to fully implement the 2009 ASUU/Federal Government agreement and that lecturers had not benefited from the Earned Academic Allowance.
He warned that the continued delay was affecting staff welfare, weakening the institution’s competitiveness and discouraging academic excellence.
While acknowledging the recent constitution of a government committee to address the issues, Opata said the union had yet to see any concrete action toward implementation.
He appealed to Governor Peter Mbah, the Governing Council of ESUT, traditional rulers and other stakeholders to intervene and prevent a disruption of academic activities at the university.
ASUU warned that failure by the Enugu State Government to commence implementation of the agreement, including payment of arrears from January 2026, before the end of July would leave the union with no option but to embark on an indefinite and comprehensive strike.
The union, however, reiterated its preference for dialogue, insisting that industrial action remains a last resort if the government fails to act.
