The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Niger Delta University (NDU) Chapter, has warned of a looming industrial crisis in Bayelsa’s state-owned universities.
The union accused the Bayelsa government of failing to implement the 2025 Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA), settle 19 months of wage award arrears and address other outstanding commitments.
ASUU said while it welcomes the state’s recent approval of allowances for public servants, linking the union’s demands to the new package was misleading and amounted to disinformation.
The union frowned at the inclusion of the N2.14 billion peculiar allowance for the mainstream civil service as part of ASUU’s demands.
ASUU insisted that its demand is the implementation of the CBA signed with the Bayelsa government on December 23, 2025, which was scheduled to take effect from January 2026.
NDU Branch Chairman, Oyinkepreye Bebeteidoh, and Branch Secretary, Comrade Victory C. Owede, said the agreement covers the payment of the Computed Annual Teaching Allowance (CATA).
According to the union, the computed CATA for academic staff in the state’s three universities stands at N336.94 million, backed by the signed agreement.
Bebeteidoh questioned why the government approved peculiar allowances for other unions without similar agreements while refusing to honour ASUU’s negotiated deal.
He described claims that ASUU was demanding over N2.99 billion monthly as false, insisting the figures presented by the government distorted the union’s legitimate demands.
The ASUU chairman said the union formally notified the government in February 2026 to commence implementation of the agreement.
He questioned why the government waited several months before citing financial constraints and claiming many states were yet to implement the agreement.
According to him, more than 10 states with lower federal allocations have already implemented the CATA without waiting for other governments.
Bebeteidoh argued that delaying implementation pending federal approval amounted to unfair treatment of university lecturers.
On the outstanding wage award arrears, ASUU said delayed implementation of the 25 and 35 per cent salary awards created 25 months of arrears.
The union said six months had been paid, leaving 19 months outstanding, despite earlier assurances that the balance would be cleared when state revenue improvelll .
ASUU argued that improved allocations to Bayelsa had weakened the government’s claim of inadequate funds.
The union cited official figures showing April and May 2026 inflows of about N95.15 billion and a closing balance of N37.08 billion.
It maintained that the outstanding wage award arrears total about N2.7 billion, which it believes the government can comfortably settle.
The union also lamented the state government’s failure to implement the February 2025 Memorandum of Understanding on staff housing.
ASUU said more than a year after suspending an earlier strike, no progress had been made on constructing on-campus accommodation for academic staff.
The union warned that the absence of staff housing had undermined the development of a vibrant university environment.
It said the campus becomes largely deserted after working hours, except for students living in the limited hostel facilities.
ASUU urged the Bayelsa State Government to honour its agreements to avert another round of industrial action in the state’s universities.