The ongoing crisis in the Taraba state branch of the Academic Staff Union of Secondary Schools (ASUSS), has taken a new dimension as a faction of the union yesterday, resolved to pitch tent with the Nigeria Union of Teachers (NUT) instead of ASUSS . Wondering why ASUSS, which the faction described as an “ unregistered body” should continue to deduct teachers salaries, the faction admonished the state government and other organs conniving with ASUSS to deduct salaries to as a matter of urgency desist or be dragged before the courts. In a press conference the National Representative, NUT, Taraba state Wing, Ibrahim Garba, said some of the teachers have resolved not to be part and parcel of an “ unregistered body” because the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity did not deem it fit to register ASUSS.

Flanked by some of the aggrieved teachers, Garba and his colleagues asked why their salaries were deducted and “ given to an unregistered Union” and described it as “ illegal.” Should the Post Primary School Management Board, the office of the Head of Service, “and any other organ of government involved in the habit of salaries deduction fail to stop,” the faction said they would be left with no other option than to approach the courts.

The faction went ahead to express their unflinching solidarity to the leadership of NUT in the state, giving them the mandate to recover all the monies deducted from their salaries for ASUSS.

Reacting, the leadership of ASUSS, describes the speech of the faction as the ranting of an ant, as the Union, according to them has gone through “ all the relevant process of registration.” Speaking through its secretary, Ishaku Kasong, they said over ninety-five percent of the post primary schools teachers in the state have aligned with ASUSS and that the few presently “making noise are being sponsored by some forces to thwart our efforts and no amount of intimidation or harassment would discourage us.” He told the secondary school teachers not to be deterred by the ongoing intimidation, as “victory would soon be ours.”