By Abubakar Baba Ahmad.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities ASUU, Bauchi Zone has threatened to join the Indefinite strike action summoned by the national body if the federal government fails to fulfill all its long-standing demands.
In a Press Conference, the Bauchi Zonal Coordinator of ASUU, Namu Timothy Aku, says the lingering issues between the Federal Government and the Union spanning over one-and-half decades have been threatening the peace being enjoyed in various campuses for the past three years.
Namu Timothy lists the lingering issues to include failure to re-negotiate the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement, lack of Sustainable Funding for Universities infrastructure, victimisation of colleagues in three universities, unpaid 25-35 percent wage award arrears, three-and-half month withheld salaries, and over four months unpaid promotion arrears of some members.
“Several committees have been set up by Government, none of which has successfully concluded the re-negotiation exercise. Since the submission of the Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-Committee Report in February 2025, Government has not paid any serious attention to the Document until a recent meeting on August 11, 2025. There are feelers that Government is no longer interested in signing any Agreement with ASUU”, the Zonal Coordinator explains.
Others are non-remittance of third-party deductions to the Union and cooperative societies by IPPIS, Proliferation of Universities, and lack of a university-based Pension Fund Administration to take care of retirement benefits for Professors and other University Staff.
He described the newly introduced Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Fund (TISSF) by the federal government as a toxic loan which terms and conditions are not explicitly defined, calling on its members to stay away from the debt-trap which is aimed at enslaving them and destroying the cooperative societies which have been the life-wire of the work force in the universities.
“ASUU hereby calls on its members to stay away from this debt-trap which is aimed at enslaving us and our children and to destroy the cooperative societies which have been the life-wire of the work force in the universities”, Aku advises.
As part of resolutions, the Zonal Coordinator of the Union urged the Federal Government as a matter of urgency to conclude and implement the 2009 re-negotiated Agreement, release funds for revitalisation of universities, halt the persecution of its members in the Federal University of Technology, Owerri while Governments of Lagos and Kogi States should reinstate all sacked members and pay them their withheld entitlements.
“Many of our colleagues in Lagos State University (LASU) and Kogi State University (KSU), now Prince Abubakar Audu University, have been sacked because of their involvement in the sustained struggle to protect the sanctity of the university autonomy, rules and regulations. The University Administration in Federal University of Technology (FUT). Owerri has continued to perpetrate illegality and arbitrariness in administering the affairs of the University. Many of our colleagues are being persecuted for speaking out against injustice and illegality”, He narrates.
Aku further advised the government to pay all its members the three-and-half month withheld salaries, arrears of 25/35% wage award and promotion arrears, and release the withheld third-party deductions from members’ salaries without any further delay.
He noted that should the government fail to implement the far reaching resolutions, the union can no longer guarantee industrial harmony.
The Bauchi Zone of ASUU comprising of Bauchi, Gombe and Plateau states has the following institutions under it to include Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University ATBU Bauchi, Sa’adu Zungur University SAZU Bauchi, University of Jos UJ, Plateau State University PLASU, Gombe State University GSU and Federal University of Kashere.
