…Lecturers suspend Postgraduate Exams
By Amieyeofori Ibim, Port Harcourt
For the first time in ten years, lecturers at the Rivers State University, RSU, have joined a nationwide strike declared by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), grounding all academic activities on campus and throwing students’ schedules into uncertainty.
The industrial action, which began at midnight on Monday, October 13, follows a directive from ASUU’s National Executive Council (NEC) ordering all university branches across the country to embark on a two-week total and comprehensive warning strike.
In a strongly worded memo signed by Comrade Emmanuel O. Davies, Chairperson of ASUU–RSU, and Comrade Iboh A. Okidim, Secretary, the union confirmed that its members had fully complied with the national directive.
“The Union hereby states categorically that it has formally notified the University Administration about the impending industrial action,” the memo read. “We were taken aback by the insistence of the Administration to go ahead with postgraduate examinations without recourse to the Union,” he said.
The union instructed members to suspend all academic duties, including teaching, supervision, examinations, and meetings, warning that any activity conducted during the strike would be considered null and void.
The action came shortly after the Dean of the Postgraduate School issued a memo insisting that examinations would proceed as scheduled on Monday. However, ASUU–RSU’s response made it clear that no academic activity would take place during the strike period.
The sudden turn of events left many postgraduate students stranded. Some had arrived on campus Monday morning before learning that the examinations had been cancelled.
“We were preparing for exams when the announcement came,” said a postgraduate student in the Faculty of Science who asked not to be named. “It’s frustrating, but if this is what it takes for lecturers to get what they deserve, we understand,” he added.
RSU’s participation marks a major shift in the institution’s labour relations. Since 2015, the state owned university had opted out of national strikes, maintaining relative academic stability even when the federal universities were shut down.
The decision to join the current action, insiders say, reflects growing frustration among lecturers over unresolved local welfare issues, in addition to the national grievances driving the ASUU strike.
“This warning strike is our opportunity to address our outstanding local issues that have been waved aside for too long,” ASUU–RSU stated. “We must remain firm, resolute, and united, ”the union stressed further.
At the national level, ASUU President Prof. Chris Piwuna announced the two-week warning strike at a press briefing in Abuja, saying the federal government had failed to act on several pending commitments.
“All branches of ASUU are hereby directed to withdraw their services with effect from midnight on Monday, the 13th of October, 2025. The warning strike shall be total and comprehensive,” Piwuna said.
Despite recent assurances from the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, that talks were in their “final phase,” the union insists that key issues — including the implementation of the 2009 ASUU–FGN Agreement, Earned Academic Allowances, and improved funding — remain unresolved.
The federal government had earlier announced the release of ₦50 billion for Earned Academic Allowances and budgeted another ₦150 billion for needs assessment in 2025. However, ASUU maintains that progress has been “largely rhetorical.”
By Tuesday morning, when our correspondent conducted a check, classrooms, laboratories, and lecture halls across RSU were deserted. Attendance registers lay unsigned, and administrative offices reported minimal activity.
Students were seen loitering, just as others gathered in groups, discussing the uncertainty of the coming weeks. “It’s confusing because RSU doesn’t usually join these strikes,” said an undergraduate in the Faculty of Social Sciences, adding that,“If they’re joining now, it must be serious.”
As at the time of filing this report, the University authorities had yet to issue an official statement regarding the strike or the suspension of examinations on the campus
With RSU now part of the national shutdown, observers say the move could significantly strengthen ASUU’s bargaining power. Others noted that it could also be a signal to a growing alignment between state-owned and federal universities in confronting shared challenges of funding, welfare, and governance.
For now, the mood on the RSU campus has become one of tense anticipation. As lecturers stayed away from classrooms, students on the other hand have remained in limbo, and the once-bustling university suddenly fell into sleep— a stark reminder of the recurring strain between Nigeria’s university system and the government.
“Solidarity forever, Victory is when we stand together,” ASUU–RSU’s memo concluded.
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