Anambra State Governor, Chukwuma Soludo, has authorised the full implementation of the 2025 renegotiated agreement between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for employees of Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University (COOU), beginning in January 2027.
The university’s Public Relations Officer, Dr Harrison Madubueze, announced the development in a statement released on Friday.
According to Madubueze, the approval was communicated to the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Kate Omenugha, through the Chairman of the institution’s Governing Council, Professor Peter Onwualu.
Omenugha welcomed the governor’s decision and thanked him for approving the agreement’s implementation. She also acknowledged the contributions of the university’s labour union leaders.
The statement read, “The Vice-Chancellor, on behalf of the University Management, Senate, Staff and Students, expressed profound gratitude to Mr Governor, describing him as a dependable leader whose word is his bond, following earlier assurances on the matter.
“For many years, full implementation of the FG-ASUU agreement at the Anambra State-owned COOU has suffered from a lack of political will by past administrations. Promises were made, but in the end, those promises were not kept.
“However, the Governor of Anambra State, Prof. Chukwuma Soludo, in keeping with his social agenda, under education to ‘restore teaching as a profession of pride, where teachers will be motivated and rewarded appropriately,’ has now delivered that long-expected reality for COOU staff.
“So far, the Governor has continued to prioritize critical investments in systems and structures geared toward a livable and prosperous homeland. This implementation of the FG-ASUU 2025 agreement by Governor Soludo is only one of the steps the government is determined to take to completely transform COOU into a university of global stature.”
The Federal Government and ASUU reached a renegotiated agreement in 2025 following prolonged disagreements over university funding, lecturers’ welfare and working conditions.
Although federal universities operate under the authority of the Federal Government, state-owned institutions such as COOU rely on their respective state governments to determine the implementation of agreements affecting their employees.
