ASUU North-East zone throws weight behind TSU striking lecturers

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), spread across the North-East geopolitical zone of Nigeria, has declared its full support for the ongoing industrial action by the ASUU branch of Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo, calling on the Taraba state government to immediately implement the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU agreement and pay all outstanding arrears owed to academic staff.

The leadership who stormed TSU premises on Tuesday, described the continued failure of the Taraba state government to implement the agreed remuneration framework as a breach of legitimate agreements and a demonstration of disregard for the welfare and entitlements of university academic staff.

Led by the Zonal Coordinator, ASUU Yola Zone, Comrade Dani Mamman, the union urged the state government to as a matter of urgency insert the right peg in the right hole by implementing the 2025 federal government agreement for the staff of the Taraba state university.

The leadership of the union who took time to explained how the various North-East governors have implemented the agreement, expressed sadness at the alledged lukewarm attitudes of the Taraba state government under the leadership of governor Agbu Kefas towards the plights of TSU lectures.

The zone, which comprises seven public university branches across Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe states, maintained that the grievances of ASUU-TSU were legitimate and deserved immediate attention.

According to them, a fact-finding team set up by the Taraba State Government had established that the universities visited had fully implemented the 2025 FGN/ASUU agreement. The report was reportedly presented to the union on September 24, 2026, following a verification exercise that commenced in August.

Flanked by the ASUU leadership from the North-East universities, the union expressed concern that despite the conclusion of the verification exercise, the state government was allegedly continuing with salary computations, describing the development as an unnecessary delay.

It questioned why the government was reportedly considering three different implementation scenarios of 95 per cent, 98 per cent and 100 per cent when, according to the union, the relevant verification and financial assessment processes had already been concluded.

ASUU North-East Zone insisted that the agreed remuneration framework must be implemented strictly in line with the payment template contained in the December 23, 2025 FGN/ASUU agreement, circulated by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission on December 30, 2025.

The agreement covers several remuneration components, including Basic CONUASS, Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, Professorial Allowance, Earned Academic Allowances and responsibility allowances for designated academic and administrative positions.

The union further described Taraba State University as one of the very few universities, and possibly the only institution in the 19 northern states, yet to implement the agreed remuneration framework.

It warned that the continued delay could undermine staff retention, institutional competitiveness and the university’s ability to attract and retain qualified academic personnel, with possible consequences for academic standards and institutional stability.

Consequently, ASUU from the zone called on the Taraba state government to immediately and fully implement the 2025 FGN/ASUU agreement at the university without further consultations, committees or verification exercises.

It also demanded the immediate payment of all accumulated arrears in accordance with the financial computation submitted by the tripartite committee, strict adherence to the agreed payment template and meaningful engagement with ASUU-TSU to resolve the industrial dispute.

While reiterating its solidarity with the striking lecturers, the union maintained that academic staff had demonstrated considerable patience through sustained engagement, constructive dialogue and several efforts to resolve the disagreement before embarking on the industrial action.

The statement stressed that industrial harmony was a shared responsibility and urged the Taraba State Government to recognise that the patience of academic staff had limits.

ASUU Yola Zone also appealed to stakeholders, members of the university community and the general public to prevail on the state government to implement the agreement and bring the industrial dispute to an end.