Abia State Governor, Alex Otti, has apologised for the recent strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Abia State University, describing the industrial action as avoidable.
Otti spoke on Thursday at a public lecture organised to mark the 35th anniversary of Abia State, held at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia.
The governor said the state government had approved the demands presented by the university’s ASUU chapter but that bureaucratic delays prevented the decisions from being implemented on time.
According to him, the financial implications of the union’s demands were already included in the memo presented to him before he gave his approval.
He questioned why an implementation committee was needed after the issues had already been considered and approved.
Otti said the delay exposed administrative weaknesses within government and contributed to the strike.
“I want to, on this podium, apologise to Abia State University as well. That strike was avoidable. The reality is that the work stops here. So, we failed. I failed. I failed them,” he said.
The governor said the incident had reinforced the need for greater accountability and efficiency among government officials, warning that similar bureaucratic delays would no longer be tolerated.
He also said workers’ welfare should receive adequate attention alongside the government’s investment in infrastructure.
Otti noted that his administration had committed significant funds to the renovation and construction of facilities at ABSU and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba.
“The question to ask is, so if we have spent this much money, how much in terms of their welfare, how much will it cost?” he asked.
The governor said officials responsible for delays in implementing approved policies would face consequences if such incidents occurred again.
The ABSU-ASUU chapter began an indefinite strike on August 11 after the expiration of a 14-day ultimatum issued to the university’s Governing Council.
The union had raised concerns over several outstanding issues, including the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement, irregular promotions, non-remittance of cooperative deductions and unpaid Earned Academic Allowances dating back to 2009.
The strike was called off after the intervention of a committee led by the Secretary to the Abia State Government. The state government announced on August 24 that the outstanding issues had been addressed.
