Abia State Governor Alex Otti has apologised for the recent strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Abia State University (ABSU) chapter, describing the industrial action as avoidable.
Otti spoke on Thursday at a public lecture organised as part of activities marking the 35th anniversary of the creation of Abia State. The event, held at the International Conference Centre, Umuahia, had the theme, “The Rise of a New Abia.”
The governor said the strike occurred despite his earlier approval of the union’s demands, attributing the delay in implementation to bureaucratic processes.
According to him, the demands presented by ASUU were legitimate and had been carefully considered before he approved them. He added that the financial implications were already contained in the memo submitted to him, making further delays unnecessary.
Otti questioned the need for an implementation committee after the demands had already been assessed and approved, saying the development exposed how bureaucratic procedures could frustrate government decisions.
“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 said.
The governor said the incident had reinforced the need for greater efficiency and accountability among officials responsible for implementing approved government policies.
He stressed that workers’ welfare issues should not remain unresolved after government had approved the necessary measures, warning that bureaucratic delays capable of frustrating government decisions would no longer be tolerated.
Otti also highlighted his administration’s investment in ABSU and the Abia State University Teaching Hospital, Aba, noting that significant resources had been committed to renovating existing facilities and constructing new ones.
He questioned why such investments in infrastructure should not be matched with adequate attention to the welfare of university workers.
“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?” he said.
The governor said government must be willing to acknowledge its failures rather than shift responsibility to workers whenever administrative lapses affect them.
He added that officials responsible for similar lapses would face consequences if such incidents occurred again.
