ASUU threatens strike at Father Adasu University over unpaid arrears

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) branch at Father Adasu University Makurdi (FAUM) has raised the possibility of embarking on a strike over unresolved welfare concerns affecting its members.

The union said key issues include unpaid salary arrears, outstanding promotion benefits, and alleged irregularities in the remittance of staff pension contributions.

This position was contained in a communiqué released on Saturday in Makurdi and signed by the branch secretary, Daniel Chile.

According to the union, several efforts to engage the university authorities on the lingering issues have not produced any firm commitments or clear solutions.

ASUU explained that during a congress held on January 20, members directed the branch executive committee to officially notify the university management about the long-standing welfare challenges confronting lecturers.

The communiqué stated that one of the major concerns is the unpaid balance of 22 months’ arrears tied to the implementation of the national minimum wage and the 25/35 per cent salary increase.

It also highlighted promotion arrears owed to some lecturers dating back to 2018, as well as inconsistencies in the transfer of deducted pension contributions into staff pension accounts.

In addition, the union pointed to discrepancies in the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA), noting that some lecturers were either underpaid or omitted entirely from the payments.

ASUU said its leadership subsequently met with the university management to discuss the issues, but the meeting ended without any definite timeline for resolving them.

The union further disclosed that it had once again forwarded the 2025 ASUU–Federal Government agreement to the university administration under the current vice-chancellor for consideration.

ASUU warned that continued delays in addressing the concerns could force the union to take stronger steps, including activating its internal procedures that may lead to industrial action.

It added that the matter may also be presented at the next meeting of the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) as consultations have already begun at the zonal level over the situation.