The University of Port Harcourt branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced an indefinite strike over what it described as outstanding salary payments and unpaid responsibility allowances owed to its members.
The union said the decision followed the university management’s failure to resolve the issues despite a meeting with its representatives and assurances that the outstanding matters would be addressed.
ASUU also alleged that its members had been excluded from the monthly payment of responsibility allowances that members of other university unions have reportedly received for more than two years.
The branch Secretary, Tarila Amakoromo, disclosed this in a statement issued to journalists on Thursday.
Amakoromo said the union had, during an emergency congress on Friday, September 11, given the university administration 48 working hours to resolve its grievances. The deadline expired at midnight on Tuesday, September 15.
He explained that the union had warned that failure to meet its demands within the stipulated period would result in an indefinite local strike with the backing of the national leadership.
According to him, the university administration failed to address the outstanding issues before the deadline, prompting the branch to declare an indefinite strike at another emergency congress held on Wednesday, September 16.
The statement read in part, “A strike action has been declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Port Harcourt Branch following the University Administration’s failure to address the demands of the Union.
“Recall that at its Emergency Congress held on Friday 11th September, 2026, Congress reached a Resolution on the following matters of urgent importance regarding salaries/emoluments of lecturers:
“Incomplete payment of lecturers’ three months’ (June, July & August, 2026) salary. Incomplete payment of Responsibility Allowances to lecturers.
“Non-payment of Responsibility Allowance to members under CONMESS & CONHESS (lecturers in the School of Health Sciences).
“Sidelining ASUU members in the monthly payment of Responsibility Allowances to members of the other unions for over two years now, etc.”
The union said the university administration met with its representatives on September 11 and promised to respond to the demands before the deadline issued by the congress.
“Regrettably, the University Administration, in spite of meeting with the Union on the same day and promising to respond to the Union’s demands before the deadline given by Congress, refused to act as promised,” the statement added.
The union said the 48-hour deadline elapsed at midnight on September 15 without the issues being resolved.
“Sequel to the University Administration’s failure to address the issues, the branch in an emergency Congress held today, 16th September, 2026, declared the indefinite Strike Action,” it stated.
According to the union, lecturers would halt all academic and official duties during the strike.
It added that a strike monitoring team had been constituted to monitor compliance at the university’s main campus and other centres.
“For the avoidance of doubt, members of ASUU are not supposed to give lectures or examinations, invigilate examinations, participate in any official assignment or statutory meetings during the strike action.
“The Strike Monitoring Team has been mandated to monitor compliance across the University’s campuses and Centres,” the statement stated.
