The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Gombe State University (GSU) has declared an indefinite strike, citing unresolved welfare concerns that have lingered for years.
The strike, announced on Wednesday, is the first internal strike in the institution’s 20-year history.
Speaking to journalists, ASUU GSU branch chairman, Dr. Suleiman Salihu Jauro, explained that the decision to embark on the strike was driven by the deteriorating state of teaching and learning at the university.
According to Dr. Jauro, despite several attempts to address these issues through dialogue, no meaningful progress had been made.
Among the primary grievances is the non-implementation of the 2021 Memorandum of Action (MoA), which was an agreement between the union and the Gombe State government.
The MoA included provisions for increased funding for the university and the payment of accumulated Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) to staff.
Dr. Jauro expressed frustration that, nearly four years after the agreement was signed, the state government has not fulfilled its obligations, including a promised annual contribution of N50 million to the university.
The union is particularly concerned about the non-payment of EAA for over five years, which has resulted in academic staff shouldering excessive workloads under poor working conditions.
Additionally, GSU workers have yet to benefit from the N30,000 minimum wage, despite it being signed into law by Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya in 2020. The university continues to operate on an outdated 2012 salary scale.
Further compounding the situation, Dr. Jauro highlighted the non-payment of promotion arrears for four years, as well as the failure to implement the 35 percent and 25 percent wage award for academic staff.
Despite a recent announcement by the state government approving N265 million for the payment of promotion arrears, the ASUU chairman indicated that the union had not received the funds, with the information only coming from media reports.
ASUU urged students and parents to understand the reasons behind the strike and called on them to pressure the government into addressing the union’s demands.
