ASUU backs Taraba varsity lecturers, demands strike resolutionBy

Femi Bolaji JALINGO – The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Yola Zone, has declared solidarity with lecturers of Taraba State University (TSU) over their ongoing strike, describing their grievances as legitimate and demanding immediate implementation of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement. The union also urged the Taraba State Government to stop delaying the implementation of the agreed remuneration framework and settle outstanding arrears owed to the university’s academic staff.

The Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Comrade Dani Mamman, stated this while addressing journalists after an expanded congress meeting of the union in Jalingo. Mamman criticised the state government for what he described as unnecessary administrative delays, insisting that the grievances of the university’s lecturers deserved immediate attention. He said the zone’s support for ASUU-TSU was based on the principles of justice, equity, collective responsibility and the protection of the legitimate rights and entitlements of academic staff.

The Yola Zone comprises seven public university branches across Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe states. They are Adamawa State University, Mubi; Federal University Gashua; Kashim Ibrahim University, Maiduguri; Modibbo Adama University, Yola; Taraba State University, Jalingo; University of Maiduguri; and Yobe State University, Damaturu. Mamman faulted the state government for placing Taraba State University lecturers in a different position from their counterparts in other universities in the region, urging it to end further delays.

He said a report by the Taraba State Government’s fact-finding team, presented to ASUU on September 24, 2026, established that the universities covered by the exercise had fully implemented the 2025 FGN/ASUU agreement. According to him, the finding was particularly significant because other universities in the zone had adopted the payment tables provided under the agreement without undergoing similar fact-finding exercises.

He said the state government had no justification for subjecting ASUU-TSU to further administrative processes after completing its verification exercise in August 2026. Mamman also expressed concern over what he described as endless computations by the government, particularly its consideration of alternative implementation levels of 95, 98 and 100 per cent after the verification exercise had been concluded.

He maintained that consultations, negotiations and computations had been completed, leaving no reason for further delays. The zonal coordinator demanded the immediate and full implementation of the agreed remuneration framework without setting up additional committees or conducting further verification exercises. He also called for the settlement of all accumulated arrears based on the financial computations submitted by the tripartite committee.

Other demands include strict adherence to the standard payment template stipulated in the 2025 agreement and immediate, meaningful engagement between the state government and ASUU-TSU in line with collective bargaining and mutual respect.