Abia State Governor, Dr. Alex Otti, has apologised to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Abia State University branch (ASUU-ABSU), over the circumstances that led to their recent industrial action, describing the strike as avoidable.
Governor Otti also issued a stern warning to government officials against delaying or frustrating the implementation of approved directives, declaring that anyone found responsible for unnecessary administrative bottlenecks would face consequences.
The Governor spoke on Thursday at the Ochendo International Conference Centre during the grand finale of activities marking the 35th anniversary of the creation of Abia State.
Addressing the recent ASUU-ABSU strike, Otti disclosed that he had approved the relevant demands presented by the union as far back as April 2026 and expressed displeasure that the approvals were not implemented promptly.
According to him, the industrial action could have been prevented had the officials responsible acted on his directives within the required timeframe.
“The strike was avoidable. I want to apologise to ASUU. It is a failure on the part of government, and that is why under this administration, such won’t be allowed again. Any official who delays further my directive won’t be spared,” Otti said.
The Governor questioned why an implementation committee was subsequently constituted over a matter he said had already received his approval months earlier, insisting that there was no justification for prolonged bureaucratic delays.
Otti stressed that government officials entrusted with implementing decisions must take responsibility and ensure that approvals translate into action without unnecessary delays.
Issuing a strong warning to officials who may frustrate the implementation of government policies and directives, the Governor declared that “heads will roll” where responsibility for such failures is established.
He assured the university community that his administration would take necessary measures to prevent a recurrence of the circumstances that resulted in the strike.
Otti’s remarks underscored his administration’s position that public officials must be held accountable not only for decisions taken but also for the timely implementation of government policies and approvals.
