Taraba varsity strike over unpaid arrears enters ninth day

The strike by lecturers at Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo, entered its ninth day on Wednesday, paralysing academic activities at the state-owned institution.

The state government has yet to announce plans to implement an outstanding remuneration agreement or pay salary arrears demanded by the lecturers.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), TSU chapter, began the indefinite strike on 12 October over the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU remuneration agreement and the payment of salary arrears accumulated from January 2026.

The industrial action has disrupted lectures and ongoing examinations, leaving students uncertain about the continuation of the semester and the university’s academic calendar.

ASUU-TSU chairman, Joshua Mbave, said the union had engaged the state government since February to resolve issues concerning the welfare of its members.

According to him, the engagements led to the establishment of a verification committee to examine salary structures and the implementation of the remuneration agreement across tertiary institutions in the North-east.

Mr Mbave said the committee submitted its report on 24 September, raising expectations that the government would implement its recommendations.

However, he said the expected resolution did not materialise, prompting the union to embark on the strike.

“The union is not opposed to dialogue,” he said. “However, any fresh negotiation must be sincere, time-bound and aimed at a definite resolution.”

The dispute deepened after the state government constituted a new Tertiary Institutions’ Staff Remuneration and Workforce Planning Committee on 30 September to review remuneration and workforce planning across state-owned tertiary institutions.

ASUU-TSU rejected the move, describing the committee as unnecessary and a possible attempt to delay the implementation of recommendations from previous committees.

The union argued that the government should implement the existing recommendations rather than establish another committee to review issues it said had already been examined.

In addition to the remuneration agreement and salary arrears, the lecturers are demanding payment of outstanding Earned Academic Allowances and the establishment of a functional contributory pension scheme for academic staff.

A former vice-chancellor of the university, Muhammad Yahaya, has urged the state government to honour its agreements with the union and resolve the dispute to allow students to return to their studies.

Mr Yahaya warned that students should not continue to bear the consequences of unresolved disagreements between the government and university authorities.

He also called for a sustainable funding framework to prevent recurring disputes over lecturers’ welfare.

Meanwhile, the strike has raised concerns among students about the disruption of examinations and possible delays to their academic progression.

Final-year students are particularly worried about the potential effect on their graduation timelines.

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The university management has appealed to students to remain calm and patient, acknowledging that the industrial action has disrupted ongoing examinations.

It said it remained committed to dialogue and improving staff welfare, while urging students to rely on official communication for updates on examinations and the resumption of academic activities.

The Taraba State Government has defended the new committee, saying it is intended to ensure fair treatment of staff across tertiary institutions and responsible management of public finances.

However, the government has yet to publicly announce when it will implement the remuneration agreement or pay the arrears demanded by the lecturers.

ASUU-TSU says the strike will remain “total, comprehensive and indefinite” until its demands are met.

With the industrial action entering its ninth day, students remain uncertain about when academic activities will resume, as the dispute over lecturers’ remuneration and welfare remains unresolved.