Students of Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko, Ondo State, on Thursday staged a protest over the prolonged industrial action that has kept the institution shut for 68 days, demanding the immediate resumption of academic activities.

The protesting students expressed frustration over the continued closure of the university, saying the strike had disrupted their academic programmes and left many, particularly students awaiting graduation, uncertain about their future. They blocked the institution’s main entrance along the Owo-Ikare Expressway while displaying placards bearing messages such as, “Every pending graduate, shey na our lives be these?”, “NASU, NAAT, SSANU have joined strike” and “Enough is Enough.”

The students called on the Ondo State Government and other concerned stakeholders to urgently resolve the dispute with the striking unions and restore normal academic activities at the university.

Speaking during the demonstration, the President of the Students’ Union Government, Folagbade Ayoola, said students had endured enough and could no longer remain silent while the crisis persisted.

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He expressed concern that students were still expected to meet their financial obligations to the institution despite unresolved salary issues affecting members of staff.

“We cannot keep silent because we are really facing challenges in our university. Imagine students having to pay school fees while lecturers’ salaries are not being paid,” Ayoola said.

Ayoola explained that the Academic Staff Union of Universities had presented its demands to the government, but the issues remained unresolved, eventually resulting in the indefinite industrial action. He said the students would continue to pursue legitimate means of demanding a solution until the strike was called off.

Also speaking, the Students’ Union General Secretary, Oluwatimileyin Amos, said the prolonged closure was taking a serious toll on students, especially those whose graduation plans had been affected.

“We have been on strike for 68 days now and something needs to be done. We need an immediate resolution and action because our students are suffering,” Amos said.

The industrial action followed demands by workers’ unions in Ondo State-owned tertiary institutions for the implementation of agreements reached between the Federal Government and the unions on workers’ welfare.

Among the unions involved in the dispute are the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and the National Association of Academic Technologists.

Meanwhile, the Ondo State Government announced on Thursday that it had paid the outstanding balance of the August arrears under the new subvention arrangement for state-owned tertiary institutions.

In a statement issued by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa, Ebenezer Adeniyan, the government said the payment signalled the beginning of the implementation of a 60 per cent increase in subventions to the affected institutions.

According to the government, the increased funding is intended to enable the institutions to meet salary commitments and improve the welfare of their workers.

“This payment marks the commencement of the implementation of the 60 per cent increment on subventions to the institutions, aimed at meeting up with salary obligations and improving welfare.

”Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa therefore appeals to the striking unions of the institutions to, in good faith, call off the strike and return to work in the interest of our students and the overall development of the state.”

The development has raised hopes that the payment and increased subvention could help address the issues behind the industrial action and pave the way for students of the university to return to their classrooms after more than two months of disruption.

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