ASUU-TSU Rejects Taraba Government Committee on Tertiary Institutions’ Salaries

ASUU-TSU has rejected a new Taraba State Government committee on staff remuneration, demanding implementation of the 2025 salary agreement and payment of arrears.

The union described the constitution of the committee as unnecessary, warning that it could further delay the implementation of the agreed remuneration framework arising from the 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria/ASUU Agreement.

Chairman of ASUU-TSU, Garba Mbave Joshua, stated this on Friday at a press conference held at the union’s secretariat at Taraba State University.

Joshua said the union’s position should not be interpreted as a rejection of dialogue or lawful engagement with the state government.

According to him, ASUU-TSU had consistently pursued peaceful resolution of disputes and the preservation of industrial harmony while engaging the government on the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU Agreement.

He said the union commenced engagements with the state government on the matter in February 2026 and formally submitted its position and demands to the Governing Council of the university on March 17.

Joshua added that the National Universities Commission representative on the Governing Council also submitted, on the same day, the commission’s cover letter and applicable salary table circulated to visitors of state universities for implementation of the agreed remuneration framework.

He said the state government subsequently constituted a verification committee which visited tertiary institutions across the six North-East states to examine salary structures, assess the level of implementation and verify prevailing conditions.

According to him, the exercise culminated in a meeting convened by the Ministry of Tertiary Education and the Office of the Head of Service on September 22, where the committee’s report was presented and made available to the union.

Joshua said the report established 100 per cent implementation of the applicable remuneration framework across the institutions covered by the verification exercise, with no alternative options or variations indicated.

He explained that 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, an outcome which the ministry subsequently acknowledged through its official communication channels,” Joshua said.

The ASUU-TSU chairman said the union therefore believed that the process had reached its final administrative stage, particularly after the government appealed to the union on September 24 to suspend contemplated industrial action following the expiration of its ultimatum.

He said the appeal was reinforced by a formal request from the Office of the Head of the Civil Service for an additional two weeks to resolve the outstanding issues.

Joshua said the union subsequently convened its members on September 29 and granted the government the requested period in the interest of industrial harmony.

He noted that 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.

He stressed that the union’s restraint should not be interpreted as satisfaction with the situation or abandonment of its demands.

ASUU-TSU called on the state government to immediately implement the agreed remuneration framework, settle accumulated arrears and honour its commitments, warning that continued reviews and delays could undermine the trust built through the engagement process.