ASUU-DELSU Chairman, Comrade Paul Opone, addressing Members during the Protest.
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 over Federal Government’s failure to sign 2009 Renegotiated Agreement over salary structure it freely entered into with the Union and demanded the Federal Government to do the needful in this regard.
Speaking during the protest which held at the Abraka campus of the University, Comrade Paul Opone who is the Chairman of ASUU-DELSU, said, the protest is not a strike but a prelude to strike if the Federal Government 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, adding that, because of inflation, that salary has become meaningless as it has led to economic hardship on lecturers.
ASUU-DELSU Members Carrying Various Placards During the Protest
Comrade Opone decried the poor state of Nigerian lecturers who have continued to receive the lowest salary in Africa yet it prides itself as the “Giant of Africa” and therefore called on the Federal Government to sign Renegotiated Agreement which has been collectively bargained with the representative of the Federal Government since October October, 2024.The ASUU-DELSU Chairman has rejected the FG’s Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF) calling it a deceitful loan to further impoverish university lecturers.
On his part, Secretary of ASUU-DELSU, Comrade Festus Omosor, said, the protest is to press home the demands of the Union adding that, there is a deliberate attempt by the Federal Government to kill education in Nigeria which, he referred to as “Academic Capitalism’. Comrade Omosor further said that, lecturers have been reduced to slaves in Nigeria as they can no longer pay their medical bills and children’s school fees without resorting to borrowing.
He lamented that between February, 2025 and August, 2025, over 50 lecturers have died across the country as a result of their inability to take care of their health due to poor salary. He therefore called on the Federal Government to do the needful by addressing the welfare concerns of Nigerian academics. According to him, Nigerian universities will shut down if the Federal Government 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, the Union would press on its demands until its welfare is addressed.
ASUU-DELSU Members Carrying Various Placards During the Protest.
According to him, the 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 adding 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 Federal Government to show integrity, and stop its insincerity of failed promises and postponement of meetings to dodge signing the draft agreement.
Comrade Mordi therefore said, the Union is ready to shut down all universities in Nigeria if the Federal 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.