By Ovat Abeng
The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU Owerri Zone, has revealed that over fifty casual lecturers at the Imo State University (IMSU) Owerri, are earning fifty thousand naira only as monthly salary amidst hardship in Nigeria.
The union lamented that the Varsity lecturers have been on strike for the past 37 days agitating for a better education system for the State and the country as a whole
The union accused the IMSU management of using the casual staff to deceive the public that all is well in the University.
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They appeal to the State governor, Senator Hope Uzodinma to urgently intervene by implementing the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement, whose implementation took effect in January 2026 across public universities in Nigeria to safe IMSU from the ugly situation.
The Union position was contained in a press statement titled; GOVERNOR HOPE UZODIMMA: IMO STATE UNIVERSITY NEEDS YOUR URGENT ATTENTION, signed and made available to Journalists in Awka on Thursday, September 17th, 2026, by the ASUU-Owerri zonal coordinator, Prof Dennis Aribodor.
According to Aribodor “Today marks the 37 (day} the Imo State University lecturers have been on strike. The bone of contention is the implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement, whose implementation took effect in January 2026 across public universities in Nigeria.
“All the necessary formal communications from the National Universities Commission to appropriate authorities including the University Administration, Governing Council and Visitor have long been transmitted, yet implementation was yet to commence in Imo State University.
“It might interest you to know that almost all the State Governments have accepted to implement the Agreement, and most have actually commenced the implementation. It is our considered opinion that Imo State Government should actually be among the leading states for this implementation but the reverse is presently the case.
“Information available to us indicate that the Imo State University Administration may not have availed you, the Visitor to the University, the true position of things in the University.
“The truth is that ASUU members are on strike in Imo State University for the past 37 (days). Another truth is that the purported examination going on in IMSU does not qualify as an examination. Another painful truth you need to know is that Imo State University, unfortunately has over 50 causal staff as lecturers who the University administration uses to deceive the public that all is well in the University.
“It may surprise you to know that these causal staff receive about Fifty Thousand Naira only (N50,000.00) as monthly pay. Little wonder the University has become notorious for some sharp practices, which are anathema to the university system.
“Another truth is that there has not been any employment in the University for over ten (10) years.
“That last recruitment exercise was carried out in 2014. The academic staff strength has seriously gone down from over 1000 to about 500 owing to migration, retirement and death. This is a very terrible situation.
“Our appeal as ASUU Owerri Zone is to call you, (Gov Uzodinma), as the Visitor of Imo State University, to summon the University Administration and the Governing Council as well as ASUU to a round table to be fully briefed on the very ugly situation in the University so as to properly intervene to save the soul of the University by implementing the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement,” Aribodor concluded.
