Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has apologised to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abia State University chapter, over the recent industrial action at the institution, admitting that the strike could have been avoided.
Otti tendered the apology on Thursday during an event marking the 35th anniversary of the creation of Abia State at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia.
The governor explained that ASUU-ABSU had presented its demands to him and that, after reviewing them, he considered the requests legitimate and approved them in April 2026.
However, according to Otti, the approval was not implemented months after it was granted. He said he was subsequently informed that an implementation committee had been established to handle the matter.
Otti questioned why another committee was necessary when the financial implications of the requests had already been included in the memo he approved.
He described the failure to implement his directive as a government failure and accepted responsibility for the situation.
The governor said, “That strike was avoidable,” adding that he had warned officials that there would be consequences if such delays occurred again.
ASUU-ABSU had embarked on an indefinite strike on August 11, 2026, over outstanding issues involving lecturers’ welfare and other entitlements. The union had complained about matters including the implementation of the 2025 salary structure, payment of earned academic allowances, promotions and other outstanding payments.
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