Education
ASUU-DELSU protests FG’s inability to sign 2009 renegotiated agreement

By Ese Umukoro
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Delta State University (DELSU) Abraka branch on Tuesday 26th August, 2025, staged a peaceful protest to demand the Federal Government to sign the Agreement it freely entered into with the Union.
Speaking during the protest which held at the Abraka campus of the University, Comrade Paul Opone, Chairman of ASUU-DELSU, said that the protest is not a strike but a prelude to strike if the FG fails to sign the new salary structure of lecturers of Nigerian universities.
He lamented that the current salary structure being used for its members was signed in 2009 and because of inflation that salary has become meaningless leading to economic hardship on lecturers.
Comrade Opone decried that Nigerian lecturers received the lowest salary in Africa yet it prides itself as the ‘Giant of Africa’ and therefore called on the FG to sign the Renegotiated Salary Agreement which has been collectively bargained with representatives of the FG since October, 2024.
The ASUU-DELSU Chairman concluded by rejecting the FG’s Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF) calling it a deceitful loan to further impoverish university lecturers.
Secretary of ASUU-DELSU, Comrade Festus Omosor, while speaking said that the protest is to press home the demands of the Union.
He stated that there is deliberate attempt by the FG to kill education in Nigeria which he called academic capitalism’.
Comrade Omosor further said that lecturers have been reduced to slaves in Nigeria. They can no longer pay their medical bills and children’s school fees without resorting to borrowing.
He lamented between February, 2025 and August, 2025, over 50 lecturers have died across the country because of their inability to take care of their health due to poor salary.
He concluded that the FG should do the needful by addressing the welfare concerns of Nigerian academics, otherwise, Nigerian universities will shut down if the FG refuses to sign the Drafted Agreement on Thursday, 28th August, 2025.
The immediate past Chairman (IPC) of ASUU-DELSU, Comrade (Professor) Godwin Demaki, while addressing members during the protest said that the Union would press on its demands until its welfare is addressed.
He further stated that University autonomy has been vandalised in Nigeria and members’ salaries can no longer take them home. Comrade Demaki said the Government has failed to implement the constitutional provision of free education at all levels.
He concluding that the Union will fight until its demands are met by the FG.
Another ASUU-DELSU veteran and former Chairman of the branch, Comrade (Professor) Emma Mordi, said enough is enough and nobody can enslave intellectuals.
He also stated that the time has come for the FG to show integrity, and stop its insincerity of failed promises and postponement of meetings to dodge signing the draft agreement.
Comrade Mordi concluded that the Union is ready to shut down all universities in Nigeria if the Government fails to do the needful.
The ASUU-DELSU protest is a directive by ASUU National Executive Council (NEC) to all branches nationwide to engage simultaneously on peaceful protest which is a prelude to a strike if the FG fails to sign the collectively bargained 2009 Renegotiated Agreement on Thursday, 28th August, 2025.