Governor Otti apologises over ASUU strike at Abia university

Governor Alex Otti of Abia State has said sorry for the recent strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Abia State University (ABSU). He called the industrial action avoidable.

Mr Otti spoke on Thursday at a public lecture. This event was part of the celebration for the 35th anniversary of Abia State. The lecture took place at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia.

The theme of the lecture was “The Rise of a New Abia.” The governor explained that the strike happened despite his earlier approval of the union’s demands. He blamed bureaucratic delays for the failure to implement the decisions on time.

He said the requests from ASUU were reasonable and had been carefully reviewed before he approved them. He mentioned that the financial implications of these demands were included in the memo he received, which made further delays unnecessary.

Mr Otti wondered why an implementation committee was needed after the requests had been assessed and approved. He expressed worry that bureaucratic processes could delay government decisions even after necessary approvals had been given.

He added that these administrative problems partly caused the delay, which led to the strike at the university. “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 stated.

The governor noted that this incident showed the need for better efficiency and accountability among government officials who implement approved policies. He stressed that it is not right for workers' welfare issues to remain unsolved after the government had approved the necessary actions.

Mr Otti also talked about his administration’s efforts in ABSU and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital in Aba. He said that a lot of resources had gone into renovating old facilities and building new ones.

He questioned why such investments in infrastructure should not be matched with enough attention to the welfare of university workers. He remarked, “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?”

The governor insisted that the government must admit its failures instead of blaming workers when administrative issues affect them. He warned that bureaucratic delays that frustrate approved government policies would not be accepted again.

He stated that officials responsible for such delays would face consequences if similar situations happened in the future. He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to strengthening public institutions, improving infrastructure, and focusing on human capital development and workers’ welfare.