The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Owerri Zone, is raising the alarm over what it describes as a steady hollowing-out of manpower at Imo State University, IMSU, even as lecturers there mark 37 days on strike.
In a statement signed by its Zonal Coordinator, Dennis Aribodor, and released to journalists in Owerri on Thursday, the union said the university’s academic staff strength has dropped from over 1,000 to roughly 500, a decline it blames on migration, retirement, and death, with no fresh hiring to fill the gap. According to ASUU, the last time IMSU conducted a proper recruitment exercise was 2014 — more than ten years ago.
That gap, the union says, has forced the institution to lean heavily on casual staff. ASUU claims more than 50 people are currently serving as lecturers at IMSU on casual terms, earning around N50,000 a month, without the stability or benefits that should come with the job.
Titled “Governor Hope Uzodimma: Imo State University Needs Your Urgent Attention,” the statement calls on the Imo State governor, in his capacity as Visitor to the university, to summon a roundtable bringing together the university management, its Governing Council, and ASUU. The union’s central grievance is the stalled implementation of the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement, which took effect in January 2026 across public universities nationwide but, according to ASUU, has yet to be applied at IMSU — even as other states have already begun rolling it out.
ASUU also suggested that Uzodimma may not have been fully briefed by the university’s management on how serious the situation has become, which is part of why it wants him to hear directly from all sides. The union said relevant directives from the National Universities Commission had already been passed down to the university administration, Council, and the visitor, but implementation on ground remains stalled.
Adding to the tension, ASUU questioned the legitimacy of examinations reportedly held at the university during the strike period, insisting they cannot properly be recognized as such.
“Our appeal as ASUU Owerri Zone is to call on you, as the Visitor of Imo State University, to summon the University Administration and the Governing Council as well as ASUU to a round table to be fully briefed on the very ugly situation in the university so as to properly intervene to save the soul of the university by implementing the 2025 FGN-ASUU Agreement,” the statement read.
