The Academic Staff Union of Universitie, Gombe State University branch, has embarked on an indefinite strike following the state government’s failure to meet several key demands.
The union’s grievances include the non-implementation of the 2021 Memorandum of Action, inadequate funding for the university, non-payment of accumulated Earned Academic Allowance and the absence of a formal training and sponsorship system for academic staff pursuing higher degrees.
According to The PUNCH, after a congress meeting on Wednesday, the union’s branch Chairman, Dr. Suleiman Jauro, briefed the press, emphasizing that the government had not shown any significant commitment to addressing these issues.
He highlighted that the refusal to meet the demands has led to the accumulation of EAA from multiple academic sessions, including 2015/2016, 2016/2017, 2017/2018, 2018/2019, and 2021/2022.
He further explained that academic staff members are burdened with excessive workloads amid deteriorating working conditions.
Jauro noted, “The members of Academic Staff Union of Universities, Gombe State University branch have endured debilitating working conditions in the university for too long as a result of issues of inadequate funding, non-implementation of the content of the 2021 MoA and refusal to implement current salaries table for academics in Nigerian universities.”
He added, “The union has sought for amicable resolution of the issues by requesting the intervention of eminent personalities in the State with no tangible outcome. The refusal of the government to honour those interventions left the union with no option but the resolution to embark on a total, comprehensive, and indefinite strike action to press home its demands.”
Appealing to students, parents, and guardians, the union urged them to understand the situation and called on them to pressure the government to take the necessary steps to resolve the issues.
