The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Taraba State University (TSU) branch, on Thursday, joined the nationwide solidarity protest demanding immediate payment of pending entitlements and implementation of agreements reached with government authorities.
In a communiqué issued at the end of an emergency congress held on October 9, 2025, the unions threatened to resume an indefinite strike if their demands were not met within the shortest possible time.
The protest followed a directive from the national leadership of SSANU and NASU, signed by Comrade Mohammed H. Ibrahim, National President of SSANU, and Prince Peters A. Adeyemi, JP, General Secretary of NASU. The circular instructed all branches in universities and inter-university centres to mobilise for the solidarity action over the federal government’s alleged failure to address key labour issues.
Among the grievances listed are the “unjust disbursement of N50 billion earned allowances,” delay in renegotiating the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreement, and non-payment of two months’ outstanding salaries. Others include arrears of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increments, non-remittance of third-party deductions for May and June 2022, and related welfare entitlements.
Despite multiple meetings with the Federal Ministry of Education’s Joint Consultative Committee—held on September 19 and October 6, 2025—the unions lamented the government’s continued inaction.
At the state level, the TSU branch also urged Governor Agbu Kefas and the university management to urgently clear several unresolved financial obligations. These include unpaid salaries for September and October 2022, withheld portions of June, November, and December 2022 salaries, Earned Administrative Allowances (EAA), and an outstanding 87.1 per cent of the total accumulated sum owed to staff.
Comrade Bitrus Joseph Ajibauka, JAC Chairperson, and Nkyareuten Musa Ipeyen, Secretary, further demanded the immediate implementation of a state-defined pension scheme for TSU staff, ensuring prompt payment of benefits to deceased and retired workers.
The communiqué recalled that the unions had suspended a total and indefinite strike on January 26, 2025, after signing a Memorandum of Action with the university management and the Ministry of Tertiary Education. However, they warned that failure to address the listed issues would compel them to resume industrial action.
“The Congress-in-session unanimously resolved to appeal to the Taraba State Government and the university management to settle all outstanding issues to avert the resumption of the total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike action,” the statement concluded.