Taraba Varsity ASUU Rejects Govt Review Committee

Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Taraba State University chapter, has rejected the tertiary institutions and staff workforce committee review, constituted by Governor AgbuKefas.

The Union, in a press conference led by its chairman, Dr. Joshua Garba Mbave, called for immediate implementation of the agreed remuneration framework to avoid industrial action.

ASUU-TSU call on the Taraba State Government to immediately proceed with the implementation of the agreed remuneration framework, settle all accumulated arrears, give due effect to the outcomes of the verification and tripartite processes already concluded, and honour the assurances and commitments made to the Union.

“We wish to formally state unequivocal objection and categorical rejection of our involvement in the recent constitution of the Committee described as the “Review of Tertiary Institutions Staff Remuneration and Workforce” by the Taraba State Government.

We consider this development at this stage of the process to be unnecessary, unwarranted and inconsistent with the extensive verification, consultation, negotiation, computation and reporting processes already undertaken by the relevant organs and representatives of government and the Union.

“Our position must not, under any circumstance, be misconstrued as a rejection of dialogue or lawful engagement with government. On the contrary, ASUU-TSU has consistently demonstrated its commitment to constructive dialogue, peaceful resolution of disputes and the preservation of industrial harmony.

“Our objection arises from a demonstrable sequence of prolonged delays, repeated consultations, committee processes and assurances without corresponding implementation, notwithstanding that the issues in contention have already been subjected to extensive consideration and documentation.

For the avoidance of doubt. ASUU-TSU has been engaging with the Taraba State Government on the implementation of the 2025 Federal Government of Nigeria/ASUU Agreement since February 2026. The Union formally submitted its position and relevant demands to the Governing Council of Taraba State University on 17th March 2026. On the same date, the representative of the National Universities Commission (NUC) on the Governing Council also submitted to the Government the NUC cover letter, together with the applicable Salary Table, circulated to all Visitors of State Universities for the purpose of implementing the agreed remuneration framework.

Throughout this period, the Union has exercised considerable restraint and acted responsibly in the overriding interest of the University, its students, staff and the people of Taraba State.

“In the course of these engagements, the State Government constituted a verification committee which visited tertiary institutions across the six states of the North-East to examine the salary structures in operation, assess the level of implementation and verify the prevailing realities on the ground.

The verification exercise was neither informal nor superficial. It constituted a comprehensive process involving relevant stakeholders and culminated in a formal meeting convened by the Ministry of Tertiary Education and the Office of the Head of Service.

“At the meeting held on 22nd September 2026, the report of the verification exercise was formally presented and duly considered, and a copy thereof was made available to the Union. Significantly, the report, based on the verification conducted across the institutions covered by the exercise, established a 100% implementation of the applicable remuneration framework, with no alternative options or variations indicated.

“Following the conclusion of that verification exercise, and in recognition of the imperative of moving from verification to implementation, a tripartite committee was constituted with a specific and identifiable mandate, namely, to compute the financial implications of implementing the agreed salary structure and determine the accumulated arrears arising from the delay in implementation.

The Committee subsequently carried out its assignment and submitted its report on 24th September, 2026. During a meeting held at the Ministry of Tertiary Education. The said meeting was publicly acknowledged and publicised by the Ministry through its official communication channels and social media platforms. Consequently, the Union reasonably understood that the process had reached its final administrative stage and that the Government was prepared to proceed with the implementation of its commitments.