The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba-Akoko (AAUA) chapter, has decried what it described as years of abandonment of the state-owned institution by successive administrations in Ondo State. The union has called for immediate government intervention to save the university from total collapse.
Addressing journalists at a press conference held at AAUA Business School in Akure, the Chairperson of ASUU-AAUA, Dr. Boluwaji Oshodi, accused the government of starving the institution of critical funding, alleging that no capital grant had been released to the university in the last seven years despite yearly budgetary allocations.
According to him, the situation has deteriorated to its worst level since AAUA was established in 1999, with staff welfare, infrastructure, and overall funding in dire condition.
Oshodi revealed that lecturers were currently owed two months’ salaries (August and September 2025), alongside accumulated arrears and allowances running into billions of naira.
“The major problem facing AAUA is gross underfunding, particularly the inadequate monthly subvention and the failure of the Ondo State Government to release capital grants,” Oshodi stated. “It may shock you to know that in the last seven years, not a kobo has been released for capital projects, despite the House of Assembly approving such grants annually. The question remains: where does this money go?”
He disclosed that while the university’s monthly wage bill and overheads exceed ₦555 million, the government only provides ₦223 million, leaving a deficit of over ₦333 million every month.
On infrastructure, Oshodi lamented the worsening condition of lecture halls, laboratories, and libraries, noting that the Faculty of Arts and Faculty of Education buildings had become unfit for use due to collapsed roofs and waterlogged offices. The withdrawal of TETFund support, he said, had further worsened the situation, leaving the university to depend largely on internally generated revenue that remains grossly inadequate.
The union also highlighted several outstanding obligations owed to academic staff, including unpaid promotion arrears, minimum wage arrears from 2014 and 2019, cooperative deductions, and unremitted third-party deductions.
On accessibility, ASUU described the roads leading to the university as deplorable, making movement difficult for staff, students, and visitors. Oshodi recalled that after several letters to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, the union met with the Deputy Governor, Dr. Olayide Adelami, in June 2025, where it was agreed that a verification team from the Ministry of Finance would visit within two weeks. “Unfortunately, that promise has not been fulfilled to date, despite our reminders,” he said.
The union further accused the state government of favoritism, alleging that another tertiary institution in Ondo State had received over ₦2.5 billion in special interventions from both the late Governor Rotimi Akeredolu and Governor Aiyedatiwa, while AAUA was left out.
“Why should AAUA be abandoned? This institution has been prudently managed and sustained by the dedication of its staff. What is good for one university should also be good for the other,” Oshodi stressed.
ASUU-AAUA therefore demanded:
- Immediate release of special intervention funds to clear outstanding salaries and allowances.
- Upward review of the university’s monthly subvention to reflect its wage bill of over ₦500 million.
“AAUA is the pride of Ondo State — a 21st-century university that deserves better. With the commitment of its managers and staff, it has survived against all odds. But it cannot continue to thrive without urgent government intervention,” Oshodi concluded.
