The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Taraba State University (TSU) chapter, has threatened to resume a suspended strike over what it calls a “deliberate provocation” by the state government’s alleged failure to honour a binding agreement.
At a press briefing in Jalingo on Wednesday, ASUU TSU chairman, Dr. Joshua Mbave Garba, accused Governor Agbu Kefas’ administration of reneging on a Memorandum of Action (MoA) signed on January 17, 2025—an agreement that had led to the suspension of the union’s strike in February.
One of the key commitments in the MoA was a monthly disbursement of ₦50 million starting February 2025 to clear accrued Earned Academic Allowances (EAA). However, Garba disclosed that not a single payment has been made.
“Despite enduring extreme hardship, demonstrating commendable restraint, and maintaining our unwavering dedication, the patience of our union has been repeatedly tested.
This continued breach of trust and failure of commitment is a deliberate provocation and undermines the industrial peace we have upheld for months,” he said.
Garba also criticised the underfunding of TSU, calling it a violation of the university’s founding law. He expressed disappointment over the government’s failure to establish a functional pension structure, adding that what exists are merely “bureaucratic formalities and empty promises” with no financial backing.
He further pointed out that the state failed to convene a crucial stakeholders’ meeting scheduled for early February, which was meant to map out a solution to lingering salary arrears.
The union had earlier issued a two-week ultimatum, which expired on July 31, 2025, without any response or effort from the government.
“This silence is both deafening and unacceptable. It sends a dangerous message that agreements with ASUU are not binding and that the academic workforce is disposable,” he stressed.
While acknowledging Governor Kefas’ free education initiative as a step in the right direction, Garba warned that such efforts would be undermined if the welfare of university lecturers continues to be neglected.
“We are not saboteurs or enemies of progress. We are nation builders and custodians of knowledge. However, we cannot continue to operate in an environment where our welfare is neglected, our rights trampled upon, and our voices ignored,” he said.
The union urged Governor Kefas to personally intervene and address the unresolved issues to prevent a fresh disruption of academic activities in the institution.
