Abia State Governor Alex Otti has accepted responsibility for the recent strike at Abia State University (ABSU), apologising to the institution and acknowledging that the industrial action should have been avoided.
Otti said the strike occurred even though he had approved the demands presented by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), attributing the delay in implementation to bureaucratic processes within government.
What Triggered The Apology
The governor addressed the issue on Thursday during a Public Lecture organised as part of activities marking the 35th anniversary of the creation of Abia State.
The event was held at the International Conference Centre in Umuahia, where Otti explained that the demands submitted by ASUU were legitimate and had been carefully considered before he approved them.
He expressed concern that administrative procedures had delayed the implementation of decisions that had already received the necessary approval.
Otti’s Admission At The Abia Anniversary Lecture
Otti described the strike as avoidable and offered an apology to Abia State University over the development.
He said the financial implications of ASUU’s demands had already been captured in the memo presented to him, suggesting that the approval process itself should not have resulted in further delays.
The governor said the situation had exposed a gap between decisions taken by government and their implementation by officials responsible for carrying them out.
How An Approved Decision Led To A Strike
According to Otti, ASUU’s requests had been presented to the government and subjected to consideration before he approved them.
He explained that the relevant financial implications were already contained in the memo submitted to him.
Despite that approval, however, the demands were not implemented quickly enough, resulting in the strike at the university.
Otti attributed the failure to bureaucratic delays and expressed concern that government procedures could frustrate decisions even after they had received approval.
The episode, as presented by the governor, therefore centred not on whether the demands had been approved, but on why the approval was not translated into timely action.
Otti: ‘We Failed’
Taking responsibility for the situation, Otti said:
“I want to, on this podium, apologise to Abia State University as well. That strike was avoidable.”
He continued:
“The reality is that the work stops here. So, we failed. I failed. I failed them.”
The admission marked a direct acknowledgement by the governor that the administration had not successfully ensured the implementation of an approved decision.
Otti also said the experience should prompt greater efficiency and accountability among government officials responsible for executing approved policies.
The Bigger Governance Issue
The incident raises a broader issue about the relationship between government decisions and their implementation.
An approval by the executive arm of government does not by itself resolve a policy or administrative matter if the officials responsible for implementation fail to act within the required timeframe.
In Otti’s account, the university strike demonstrated how bureaucratic procedures can undermine decisions that have already been taken at the government level.
The governor consequently stressed the need for greater efficiency among officials and said workers’ welfare concerns should not remain unresolved after the government has approved the necessary measures.
Why The Apology Matters
Otti’s response places accountability at the centre of the episode rather than treating the strike solely as an industrial dispute.
His admission that the action was avoidable, coupled with his acceptance of personal responsibility, acknowledges that the consequences of administrative delays can extend beyond government offices to institutions and workers affected by unresolved decisions.
The immediate issue may have been the strike at ABSU, but the governor’s remarks point to a wider governance challenge: ensuring that approved government decisions are implemented effectively and without unnecessary bureaucratic delays.
For Otti’s administration, the significance of the episode will therefore depend not only on the apology but also on whether the administrative shortcomings he identified are addressed and future approved decisions are implemented more efficiently.
