ASUU Backs TSU Strike, Urges Kefas To Implement 2025 Agreement

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Yola Zone, has backed the ongoing strike by lecturers of Taraba State University (TSU), Jalingo, urging Governor Agbu Kefas to immediately implement the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement and pay all outstanding entitlements.

The union said TSU was the only university in the North yet to implement the agreed remuneration framework, despite the conclusion of a government-constituted verification exercise.

The ASUU Yola Zone Coordinator, Dani Mamman, made the call on Tuesday during a solidarity visit to the university in Jalingo, where he accused the Taraba State Government of failing to honour its agreement with academic staff.

Mamman described the delay as a breach of an established agreement and a disregard for the welfare and legitimate entitlements of lecturers, insisting that the grievances of the TSU branch were legitimate and required urgent government intervention.

He expressed concern that while other state governments across the North-East had implemented the 2025 agreement, Taraba State was yet to do so, despite the completion of a verification exercise initiated by the state government.

According to him, a fact-finding team constituted by the government had established that the universities visited had fully implemented the agreement.

He said the report was reportedly presented to the union on September 24, 2026, following a verification exercise that commenced in August.

Mamman, however, expressed disappointment that the government was still undertaking salary computations despite the conclusion of the exercise, describing the development as an unnecessary administrative delay.

He also faulted the reported consideration of three implementation options of 95 per cent, 98 per cent and 100 per cent, arguing that the verification and financial assessment processes had already been concluded.

The ASUU zonal coordinator insisted that the remuneration framework should be implemented in accordance with the payment template contained in the December 23, 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement, which was circulated by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission on December 30, 2025.

He explained that the agreement covered several remuneration components, including Basic CONUASS, Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, Professorial Allowance, Earned Academic Allowances and responsibility allowances for designated academic and administrative positions.

Mamman warned that continued delays could undermine staff retention, institutional competitiveness and the university’s ability to attract qualified academic personnel, with adverse implications for academic standards and institutional stability.

He consequently demanded immediate and full implementation of the agreement without further consultations, committees or verification exercises.

The union also demanded payment of all accumulated arrears in line with the financial computation submitted by the tripartite committee, strict adherence to the agreed payment template and meaningful engagement with the TSU branch to resolve the ongoing industrial dispute.

Mamman said academic staff had demonstrated considerable patience through sustained engagements and constructive dialogue before resorting to industrial action, reaffirming the zonal leadership’s solidarity with the striking lecturers.

He maintained that industrial harmony was a collective responsibility and warned that the patience of academic staff should not be taken for granted.

The ASUU leader appealed to stakeholders, members of the university community and the general public to prevail on the state government to honour the agreement, clear outstanding entitlements and bring the dispute to an amicable conclusion.

The ASUU Yola Zone comprises seven public university branches across Adamawa, Borno, Taraba and Yobe States.

The zonal leadership further alleged that TSU remained one of the few universities, if not the only institution among the 19 northern states, yet to implement the agreed remuneration framework.