The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko (AAUA) chapter, has lamented the neglect of the institution by the Ondo governor, Lucky Aiyedatiwa’s administration.

At a news conference in Akure on Friday, the chairperson of ASUU-AAUA, Boluwaji Oshodi, said the situation has crippled academic activities and left staff welfare in dire straits.

Mr Oshodi explained that the members of staff are being owed salaries and allowances, while the university’s infrastructure is collapsing due to years of inadequate funding.

“As we speak today, October 3, 2025, apart from the backlog of different types of arrears, our members are being owed two months’ salary (August and September, 2025), which led to the ongoing strike action by ASUU members in AAUA,” he said.

He accused the state government of failing to release capital grants for seven years despite yearly budgetary appropriations by the Ondo State House of Assembly.

According to Mr Oshodi, classrooms, laboratories, libraries, and lecturers’ offices have become uninhabitable, with leaking roofs and collapsed structures worsening the learning environment.

“It may amaze you to know that the state government has not released a kobo as a capital grant to the university for the past seven years,” he said.

ASUU also alleged that while AAUA has been left to rot, other tertiary institutions in the state have received special financial interventions.

“The Akeredolu regime gave the tertiary institution in question eight hundred and fifty million Naira (₦850 million), while the current governor, Dr Aiyedatiwa, has given this same institution special financial intervention twice, making a total of two billion, five hundred and ninety-seven million Naira (₦2.597 billion). The question must be asked; what has AAUA done wrong or not doing right?” Mr Oshodi queried.

He insisted that the current monthly subvention of ₦223.1 million to the university was grossly inadequate, as the institution’s wage bill ranges between ₦555 million and ₦600 million monthly, forcing it to augment over ₦333 million every month.

Mr Osodi called on Mr Aiyedatiwa to urgently release special intervention funds to clear outstanding salaries and allowances and to increase the university’s monthly subvention to meet its wage bill.

He vowed that the union would sustain its strike until concrete steps are taken by the government to salvage the university from “total collapse.”

In a swift reaction, the Commissioner for Education in the state, Igbekele Ajibefun, told The Nation that the issues raised by the striking lecturers were being addressed.

Mr Ajibefun, who pleaded with the ASUU members to exercise patience, said Mr Aiyedatiwa’s government has been investing much in education.

“We shall be meeting the lecturers and union leaders soon to address these issues. One thing is that the governor is a lover of education, and he is not relenting in investing in the sector. So, all their grievances would be resolved soon,” he said.