ASUU Threatens New Strike Over Unpaid ₦50M Allowances at Taraba State University
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Taraba State University has issued a warning of renewed industrial action following the state government’s failure to implement a key agreement signed in January 2025.
ASUU Chairman Dr. Joshua Mbave Garba criticized the administration of Governor Agbu Kefas for breaching the Memorandum of Agreement, which included a ₦50 million monthly payment toward Earned Academic Allowances. According to Dr. Garba, not a single payment has been made since the signing of the agreement.
He accused the government of showing no commitment to resolving the issues and failing to engage in dialogue with union representatives. The union had issued a two-week ultimatum that expired on July 31, yet the government has remained silent. Dr. Garba called the silence “deafening and unacceptable,” arguing that it sends a dangerous message that government agreements with ASUU are meaningless.
ASUU Taraba also decried the persistent underfunding of the university and the absence of a functional pension scheme for academic staff.
While acknowledging the state’s free education policy as a step in the right direction, the union stressed that staff welfare must not be sacrificed in the name of reform. Dr. Garba emphasized that lecturers are not saboteurs but nation builders, and that they cannot continue to work under conditions where their rights and wellbeing are ignored.
The union warned that unless the government acts urgently to fulfill its obligations, it will have no choice but to resume the previously suspended strike, potentially disrupting academic activities at the university.
