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Citing a longstanding failure to implement the agreed-upon earned allowances dating back to 2009, along with the lack of financial benefits for promotions since 2016, and several other unresolved grievances, the Imo State University (IMSU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) initiated an indefinite strike action over the weekend.
The IMSU academic staff declared their strike action effective from 6:00 p.m. on Friday, September 20, as detailed in a statement co-signed by Chairperson Odinakachukwu Ejiogu and Secretary Lazarus Chikwendu.
The statement underscored the union’s frustration, noting that after multiple “letters, meetings, rallies, and press releases” to both the state government and university leadership, their concerns had been consistently ignored, prompting this decisive action.
The statement alluded to 10 key unresolved issues, including “promotions without financial benefits since 2016; ASUU-IMSU staff salary disparity with those of other comparable tertiary institutions; undue delays in staff assessment and promotions; selective salary payment and non-payment of salary arrears; non-payment of earned academic allowances since 2009; non-remittance of pension deductions from May 2016 to date; non-payment of yearly increment of salaries; inclusion of Imo State University in the Treasury Single Account (TSA); funding of the university and erosion of the university autonomy.”