Academic staff of the Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) have declared a two-week warning strike over the alleged non-implementation of the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) agreement.
The decision was announced on Friday, August 14, 2026, by the Chairperson of the ASUU-ESUT Branch, Dr Andrew Apeh, while addressing journalists in Enugu.
Apeh recalled that the union had issued a one-month ultimatum in June, demanding the immediate implementation of the agreement.
According to him, the union was forced to embark on the industrial action after several attempts at dialogue with the university management failed.
“Today, 14th August, 2026, there has been zero reflection of that agreement in ESUT. Management has chosen misinformation, confusion and inaction over genuine dialogue and proper solutions,” Apeh said.
He said the decision followed exhaustive deliberations at the union’s congress meetings held on July 14 and 25, 2026, as well as directives from the national leadership of the union.
Among the grievances cited by ASUU-ESUT is the alleged non-payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) dating back to 2009, resulting in more than 17 years of accumulated arrears.
Apeh directed that all academic activities at the university be suspended from Friday, August 14, until the expiration of the two-week warning strike.
He said there would be no lectures, examinations, project supervision or defence, statutory meetings, or departmental academic activities throughout the period.
The union leader also directed academic staff to stay away from the university’s campuses in Agbani and Enugu for the duration of the strike.
“A Monitoring Team has been inaugurated with immediate effect to ensure full compliance,” he said.
He warned that any union member found on the university premises or engaging in academic activities during the strike would face disciplinary action in accordance with the union’s provisions.
Apeh said the union did not embark on the strike willingly but had been “pushed to the wall” after prolonged delays in addressing its concerns.
He appealed to the Enugu State Government, the ESUT Governing Council and the university management to intervene and address the issues raised by the union.
He also called on Governor Peter Mbah and other stakeholders to urgently intervene, warning that failure to resolve the issues could further threaten the stability of the institution.
The ASUU-ESUT chairperson stressed that the union remained open to meaningful engagement that could lead to the resolution of the outstanding issues and an end to the industrial action.