OWERRI — A severe academic crisis is unfolding at Imo State University (IMSU), as the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) branch has exclusively told the Tripod Times that its members will completely withhold the grading of all ongoing examination scripts.
The union’s leadership declared the university management’s decision to conduct exams during an active strike as an “academic illegality” that threatens the international credibility of degrees issued by the institution.
The IMSU ASUU branch had initiated a total, indefinite industrial action on August 10, 2026, citing unpaid arrears, poor infrastructure, and unfulfilled government agreements.
In a controversial counter-move, the university administration pushed forward with scheduling and invigilating semester examinations using alternative arrangements.
Speaking directly to the Tripod Times on Saturday, September 5, 2026, IMSU ASUU Chairperson Stephen Oguji slammed the examinations as a hollow exercise. “You cannot build something on nothing,” Oguji told our reporters.
“A strike means all academic activities, including evaluation, are suspended. We are issuing a clear warning to students and parents: our members will not touch, grade, or record a single score from these exam scripts. The university cannot manufacture results out of thin air
.”Protecting the Value of the IMSU DegreeThe union stated that pushing students through unsupervised or poorly monitored examinations damages the reputational value of the university.
Oguji explained that the decision to boycott grading is intended to protect the students’ future, ensuring their hard-earned degrees remain respected globally.
The union urged students and parents not to view the striking faculty as enemies, but rather as partners fighting to save public education from collapse.
ASUU advised the student body to direct their frustrations toward the state government and university management, who have failed to implement baseline funding agreements.
With lecturers refusing to step into grading rooms, thousands of IMSU students now face an indefinite waiting period.
Final-year students hoping to graduate or mobilize for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) are likely to bear the brunt of the standoff..
The Tripod Times has reached out to the IMSU management for an official response regarding how they intend to process student marks without the academic staff, but no statement has been issued at the time of this report.
