ASUU Branches Suspend Lectures Nationwide Over Delayed Salaries

More branches of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have commenced suspension of academic services across the country following the delay in the payment of June 2025 salaries by the Federal Government.

The development comes after ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) warned of invoking its “no pay, no work” policy if salaries were not paid by the third day of the new month. The union’s national president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, had earlier told The PUNCH that ASUU would not hesitate to take action over repeated delays in wage disbursement.

As of Monday, university lecturers across several federal institutions have not received their June salaries.

In a related move, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) issued a similar warning on Sunday night, threatening to embark on industrial action should the government continue to withhold their payments.

At the University of Jos, ASUU Chairman, Dr. Jurbe Molwus, confirmed that union members had withdrawn their services, including teaching and statutory meetings. He explained that the move followed a directive from the NEC, which allows branches to act independently once salaries are delayed beyond the third day of the month.

“Our congress met and affirmed that we would not work until salaries are paid. Lecturers have stayed away from lectures and other duties, and our strike monitoring team has been activated to ensure full compliance,” Molwus said.

In Bauchi State, the ASUU chapter at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU) has also downed tools. Branch chairman, Dr. Angulu Haruna, described the consistent salary delays as “a deliberate act of sabotage” by the government.

“While other government workers receive their wages promptly, federal university staff are repeatedly sidelined,” Haruna noted, adding that the government often blames the issue on migration from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), which he said was no longer a valid excuse.

In Abuja, skeletal activities were observed at the University of Abuja, with many lecturers absent from classrooms and academic offices. A few administrative tasks continued, but academic services were largely disrupted.

At Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria, lecturers also stayed off campus. A senior staff member, who requested anonymity, confirmed that members were complying with the NEC resolution and would remain off duty until their wages were paid.

The rising unrest in the academic sector signals yet another chapter in the long-standing friction between Nigeria’s academic unions and the Federal Government. Stakeholders have called on the authorities to urgently resolve the issue to avoid a full-scale shutdown of the nation’s tertiary education system.