Gov Mbah Increases Monthly Subvention to ESUT by N115m, Appeals to ASUU to Suspend Strike

‎Governor Peter Mbah has approved an additional N115 million monthly subvention for the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, as part of efforts to resolve issues around the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, ESUT chapter.
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‎The Secretary to the State Government, Prof. Chidiebere Onyia, announced this in a statement on Monday. He said the new funding will raise the state government’s monthly subvention to ESUT from the current N161 million to N276 million. This represents a cumulative increase of N140 million since February 2026.
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‎According to Prof. Onyia, the additional intervention underscores the administration’s commitment to strengthening ESUT’s capacity to meet its financial obligations, particularly to staff, and to sustain the delivery of quality academic services.
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‎“Governor Mbah has demonstrated once again that his administration places the welfare of workers and the uninterrupted education of our young people at the heart of its priorities. This additional N115 million monthly intervention is a substantial commitment of public resources aimed at strengthening ESUT and ensuring that the institution can meet its obligations to its staff and students,” he said.
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‎The SSG explained that before February 2026, the state government was providing N136 million monthly to ESUT. From February, an additional N25 million was introduced specifically for the ESUT College of Medicine, ESUCOM, to support the payment of 120 additional staff. That brought total monthly support to N161 million. With the latest approval of N115 million, total monthly subvention now stands at N276 million.
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‎Prof. Onyia added that the increase is also expected to help ESUT move toward achieving the salary agreement reached between ASUU and the Federal Government.
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‎He appealed to ASUU members at ESUT to reciprocate the government’s gesture by suspending the strike and resuming academic activities while outstanding issues are addressed through dialogue.
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‎“We appeal to ASUU-ESUT to reciprocate this gesture by resuming academic activities, while all outstanding issues are addressed through constructive dialogue. Our students should not be made to bear the consequences of disagreements that can be resolved amicably,” he said.
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‎The SSG reaffirmed Governor Mbah’s commitment to workers’ welfare and to the sustained development of ESUT, noting that the substantial increase shows the priority the administration places on education and on keeping the academic calendar uninterrupted.
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‎He urged the university management and ASUU to embrace dialogue and work collaboratively to resolve outstanding issues, stressing that the goal should be uninterrupted, quality education for ESUT students. He further assured the university community that the Mbah administration will continue to support ESUT within available resources and take steps to position it as a leading university of science and technology.
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