Strike: Taraba varsity’s fate in limbo as SSANU refuses to resume work

The hope for a full resumption of academic and administrative activities at Taraba State University (TSU), following the suspension of a month-long strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has no doubt been dashed as the university’s Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) continues its industrial action.

Despite efforts by the state government to address ASUU’s concerns, the refusal of SSANU’s TSU chapter to return to work, as observed by our reporter, will continue to keep the university in a state of paralysis.

DAILY POST findings reveal that the SSANU strike stems from unresolved grievances, including demands for salary arrears, promotion benefits, and pension reforms.

In a statement issued in Jalingo on Sunday, SSANU Chairperson Bitrus Joseph Ajibauka, declared that the strike would persist until all the union’s demands are met.

“The union will remain on strike until all its demands are fully implemented, as has been done for other unions in the university,” he emphasized.

Among the key issues raised by SSANU are the payment of withheld salaries for September, October, November, and December 2022, and the settlement of promotion arrears for 2016–2020, which the union alleges have already been paid to other university unions.

SSANU is also demanding an immediate 50% payment of the N692.9 million owed to its members, with the remainder to be cleared within three months.

Additional demands, as noted in the statement, include the implementation of updated 2020 guidelines for the appointment and promotion of senior non-academic staff, the replacement of outdated 2012 criteria, and the finalization of a pension scheme under the State Pension Scheme, with a recommendation for establishing a Tertiary Education Pension Board.

While the union acknowledged Governor Agbu Kefas and the Ministry of Tertiary Education for implementing the new N70,000 National Minimum Wage and peculiar allowances, they maintain that these measures fall short of resolving broader issues.

The prolonged strike has left TSU in disarray, with administrative functions paralysed and academic schedules disrupted.

Stakeholders who spoke with our reporter have called on the state government to adopt a more inclusive approach to address SSANU’s demands and restore normalcy at the university.