Get Guardian on GoogleThe Senator Emmanuel Bwacha governorship campaign council has called on the Taraba State Government to urgently address the grievances of workers in public tertiary institutions following the commencement of an indefinite strike by lecturers and other academic staff.
The council, in a statement issued by its Director of Media and Publicity, Sulaiman Ibrahim Ahmed, on Wednesday,.accused the administration of governor Agbu Kefas of failing to honour agreements with workers, warning that the growing industrial disputes could further undermine the state’s education sector.
According to the statement, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Taraba State University chapter, had earlier embarked on industrial action over unresolved labour-related agreements and alleged government failure to fulfil its commitments.
The council further claimed that the Taraba State Polytechnic, College of Education, College of Agriculture, College of Nursing and College of Health Technology, Takum, had also joined the strike, with workers demanding the settlement of outstanding entitlements.
Among the demands listed by the striking workers are the payment of accumulated salary arrears dating back to January, implementation of remuneration agreements, introduction of pension schemes and payment of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and Consolidated Tools Allowance (CONTAC), as applicable.
The campaign council alleged that other states in the North-East had commenced implementation and payment of the relevant allowances, while Taraba State was yet to do so.
It also questioned the state government’s commitment to its free education policy, arguing that persistent disputes involving academic institutions could undermine access to education and the future of students.
The council expressed concern over what it described as worsening conditions across critical sectors, including education, healthcare and agriculture, and accused the state government of paying insufficient attention to the welfare of residents.
While urging the government to address the workers’ demands without further delay, the council appealed to labour union leaders and other stakeholders to pursue dialogue and find common ground towards resolving the disputes.
It stressed that the immediate priority should be the restoration of academic activities to prevent further disruption to students’ education and the future of young people in the state.
The statement also called on well-meaning individuals and groups to prevail on the government to prioritise public welfare and improve service delivery across the state.
However, the council concluded by urging Taraba residents to exercise their democratic rights in future elections, expressing support for Senator Emmanuel E. Bwacha as its preferred candidate for the state’s governorship.
