Aiyedatiwa Approves N1.1bn Intervention Fund To End AAUA Strike

​AKURE — In a decisive move to salvage academic stability and resolve a crippling industrial dispute, Ondo State Governor, Hon. Lucky Orimisan Aiyedatiwa, has approved the release of N1.1 billion as a Special Intervention Fund for the Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba-Akoko (AAUA).

​The financial intervention is specifically targeted at clearing outstanding salary arrears that have left academic activities at the state-owned institution grounded.

​The development comes on the heels of an indefinite strike action initiated by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), AAUA chapter, on July 10, which paralyzed the institution’s academic calendar and stalled second-semester examinations. The strike had added immediate pressure on the university’s newly appointed seventh substantive Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Tomola Obamuyi, who assumed office earlier in the month.

​Reacting to the approval through a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Prince Ebenezer Adeniyan, Governor Aiyedatiwa emphasized that a well-motivated workforce remains fundamental to building a globally competitive, 21st-century tertiary institution.

​The Governor has promptly directed the State Ministry of Finance alongside the University Management to ensure the immediate release and transparent disbursement of the funds. Furthermore, he appealed to the striking academic and non-academic unions to reciprocate the gesture by calling off the industrial action and returning to the classrooms in the best interest of the students and the institution’s future.

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​While the intervention has been welcomed as a critical step toward normalization, the leadership of ASUU-AAUA, headed by Dr. Boluwaji Oshodi, has maintained that the union operates strictly on evidence rather than promises. The union indicated that while the release of the N1.1 billion is a welcome development to offset arrears spanning months, formal suspension of the ongoing strike remains contingent on members receiving direct credit alerts.

​Stakeholders, parents, and the student body, whose academic pursuits have faced recurring interruptions, are now looking to the swift execution of the Governor’s directive to restore normalcy to the Akungba-Akoko campus.