The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Taraba State University Chapter (ASUU-TSU), has rejected its involvement in a newly constituted committee by the Taraba State Government to review staff remuneration and workforce in tertiary institutions. This decision was announced by ASUU-TSU Chairman, Garba Mbave Joshua, at a press conference held at the union's secretariat. The union views the committee's constitution as unnecessary and potentially delaying the implementation of the agreed remuneration framework from the 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria/ASUU Agreement.
According to Joshua, ASUU-TSU had been pursuing peaceful resolution of disputes and preservation of industrial harmony while engaging the government on the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU Agreement. The union commenced engagements with the state government in February 2026 and formally submitted its position and demands to the Governing Council of the university on March 17. This was followed by the National Universities Commission representative submitting the commission's cover letter and applicable salary table to the Governing Council.
A verification committee was subsequently constituted by the state government, visiting tertiary institutions across the six North-East states to examine salary structures, assess implementation levels, and verify prevailing conditions. The exercise culminated in a meeting on September 22, where the committee's report was presented to the union. The report established 100 per cent implementation of the applicable remuneration framework across the institutions covered, with no alternative options or variations indicated.
Following the verification exercise, a tripartite committee was constituted to compute the financial implications of implementing the agreed salary structure and determine accumulated arrears arising from the delay. The committee completed its assignment and submitted its report on September 24 at a meeting held at the Ministry of Tertiary Education. The ASUU-TSU chairman said the union believed that the process had reached its final administrative stage, particularly after the government appealed to the union to suspend contemplated industrial action.
The government appealed to the union on September 24 to suspend its planned industrial action following the expiration of its ultimatum. This appeal was reinforced by a formal request from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service for an additional two weeks to resolve outstanding issues. The union subsequently convened its members on September 29 and granted the government the requested period in the interest of industrial harmony.
Taraba State University was the only university among the institutions concerned that had obtained approval to embark on industrial action but did not proceed with the action. The union's restraint should not be interpreted as satisfaction with the situation or abandonment of its demands. ASUU-TSU emphasized that it had consistently pursued peaceful resolution of disputes and preservation of industrial harmony.
ASUU-TSU called on the state government to immediately implement the agreed remuneration framework, settle accumulated arrears, and honour its commitments. The union warned that continued reviews and delays could undermine the trust built through the engagement process. The union's position should not be interpreted as a rejection of dialogue or lawful engagement with the state government.
Key points
- ASUU-TSU rejects a new committee to review staff remuneration, citing potential delays.
- The union had been engaging the government on implementing the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU Agreement since February 2026.
- Taraba State University was the only university that had obtained approval for industrial action but did not proceed.
