Taraba Varsity ASUU Threatens Strike Over N1.7bn Debt

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Taraba State University (TSU) branch, has warned the state government and management of the institution to urgently settle their N1.7 billion debt, implement the agreements reached with the union or risk industrial action.

This was contained in a statement on Friday by the branch’s chairperson of the union, Dr Joshua Garba Mbave, in Jalingo, the state capital.

TSU-ASUU chair, in the statement said, after months of unfulfilled promises and stalled negotiations from the government, the union has reached “the limit of patience and goodwill, ASUU might have no option but to activate all legitimate industrial actions available within the laws of the Nigerian labour system if the government fails to act in the coming days.

The union described the state government’s failure to implement agreed resolutions as a “breach of trust,” warning that the inaction could destabilise the university’s academic calendar.

“Unless these issues are addressed immediately and decisively, the union will have no alternative but to activate all legitimate industrial actions available within the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. Anything less is an invitation to a crisis entirely of the government’s making,” the statement read.

According to ASUU, the resolution followed a congress meeting held on Wednesday, where members expressed concerns over the government’s refusal to honour binding agreements, neglect of staff welfare, and disregard for directives issued by the governor himself.

The union accused the government of ignoring multiple executive directives, particularly those related to payment of withheld salaries and clearance of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA).

“In a meeting held with the governor, Dr Agbu Kefas, in August 2025, the government expressly promised that all withheld salaries owed to TSU academic staff would be paid on or before December 2025. To date, nothing has been paid,” the statement noted.

It further revealed that the accumulated EAA owed to academic staff stands at N1.7 billion, a figure it says was confirmed by the government.

“Despite agreeing to release N50 million monthly from February 2025, only one tranche was reportedly paid in July 2025.”

The statement also alleged that directives issued by the governor to the Commissioner of Finance and the Head of Service in August 2025, regarding a proposal to clear the EAA backlog and the establishment of a functional pension scheme were ignored.