Taraba Lecturers Fault Gov’t For Breaching Agreements

Taraba State University Chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has faulted the state government over its persistent neglect and failure to honour agreements reached with the union.

The union warned that the union and its members have reached a breaking point of industrial action.

The union made the claims during a press conference in Jalingo, stating that it could no longer remain silent in the face of what it described as repeated empty promises by the state government.

The ASUU chairman. Dr Garba Mbave Joshua, said the government failed to adhere to agreed timelines on the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and withheld salaries following the suspension of the union’s strike in January 2025.

He explained that the strike was suspended after negotiations in which the government committed to paying N50 million monthly from February 2025 to offset outstanding obligations.

The union, however, announced that only one payment was made in July 2025, a development they described as a betrayal that has worsened the financial hardship faced by its members.

Dr Joshua also referred to a directive reportedly issued by the state governor in August 2025, which, according to them, instructed that all outstanding EAA and salary backlogs be cleared before December 2025.

He, who had not implemented the directive, had not done so ever since.

According to him, no meaningful action had been taken months after the deadline.

The union further criticised what it termed the government’s nonchalant attitude to official correspondence, saying several letters addressed to the Governor, the Head of Service, and the Ministry of Tertiary Education had gone unanswered despite repeated follow-ups, press releases, and earlier press conferences.

The union also raised concerns over the absence of a functional pension scheme for retired academic staff and families of deceased members.

ASUU-TSU warned that the government’s continued failure to address these issues could lead to a breakdown of industrial harmony.

He called on the public to hold the government accountable, urging immediate action to resolve the outstanding matters in the interest of fairness and the future of education in Taraba.