The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has backed down from its earlier threat to embark on strike action, following the late disbursement of June 2025 salaries to its members.
Chairman of University of Abuja branch of ASUU, Dr. Sylvanus Ugoh, confirmed this in an interview with LEADERSHIP on Tuesday.
Dr. Ugoh said the union suspended plans to withdraw services as salaries began to reflect in members’ accounts before the expiration of the 11:59pm ultimatum issued by the branch.
“The June 2025 salary of our members started to drop before the end of the 11:59 pm Monday 7th July, 2025 ultimatum given by ASUU UniAbuja. Therefore, the Branch did not activate the withdrawal of service as earlier resolved by Congress,” Ugoh stated.
The decision offers a brief respite from what could have become a full-blown nationwide academic shutdown.
Earlier, the national leadership of ASUU had confirmed that branches were directed to begin withdrawal of services if June salaries of universities lecturers were not paid promptly.
This move was based on a National Executive Council (NEC) resolution to enforce a “No Pay, No Work” policy, following persistent delays in salary payments, an issue ASUU blamed on the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation.
ASUU President, Professor Chris Piwuna, had on Monday, described the situation as a result of government’s “lackadaisical attitude,” stating that despite repeated engagements with relevant officials, lecturers continued to suffer needless delays in receiving their wages.
“We want to work, but we cannot because they have not allowed us to work. It’s a deliberate act. The payment platform isn’t the problem. The issue is that those in charge of releasing funds are simply not doing their jobs,” the ASUU president had said.
Piwuna further stressed that the hardship caused by the transition from the IPPIS to the GIFMIS platform had worsened the plight of lecturers, and that any university whose members had not been paid by July 7 was expected to commence strike action immediately.
