By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Taraba State University branch on Friday declared that the implementation of the new national minimum wage by Governor Agbu Kefas, has placed the state university among top highest paying university in Nigeria.
Some of the lecturers who spoke separately to our correspondent in Jalingo, described the development as a morale booster for best service delivery that would rank the university among top five best academic performing universities in Nigeria.
They commended Kefas for the decision, and appealed for sustainability to attract more professionals in the university to be rank among world best.
Dr Joshua Mbaver, the ASUU chairman in his comment said, “This is a mind blowing development. I want to tell you that this development will see a lot of transformational changes in the University.
“We are now among top best paid university lecturers in all Nigeria universities, including federal universities.
“I sincerely commend governor Agbu Kefas for taking this wise decision. It’s a moral burster that will make us deliver the best that has never witnessed in any university in Nigeria.
“This development would attract the best professionals of different fields, from other universities to Taraba, and we will create wonders.
“I must commend the ministry of Tertiary Education, the commissioner, and the university management for their efforts that saw quick resolution of issues around us in the university,” Mbaver expressed.
On his part, Professor Christian Amuche, Dean of the College of Postgraduate Studies, stated that the implementation of the New Minimum Wage has made Taraba State University one of the highest-paying institutions in Nigeria.
Amuche expressed that the development will change the status of the institution in terms of performance.
“We are now among the highest paid university staff in the whole of Nigeria. As we are rank among top highest paying staff, we are going to reciprocate the gesture by giving out the best that has never witnessed in any of the Nigeria universities.
“We will make Taraba state University to be the best university in Nigeria in terms of academic performance. We will ensure that the university is rank among world best universities,” Amuche said.
Meanwhile, an Associate Professor of Applied Mathematics, Department of Mathematics and Statistics, at the university, Samuel Shikaa expressed that “as the then Chairperson of ASUU Taraba State University (ASUU-TSU), I was privileged to meet His Excellency, Dr Agbu Kefas, on the 3rd of April, 2023, in his capacity as Governor-elect. During our engagement, we had a sincere and fruitful discussion regarding the state of the university and its pressing issues.
“It is worth noting that if the government agents mediating between the Union and the Governor had effectively discharged their responsibilities, the potential for industrial disharmony would have been significantly mitigated.
“However, the decisive intervention by His Excellency during the recent strike demonstrates his exceptional political will to address longstanding challenges within the university, surpassing the efforts of all his predecessors after the tenure of His Excellency, Pharm. Danbaba Danfulani Suntai.
“The current administration’s response to these issues appears more holistic and strategic than ever before. The matters in contention include, but are not limited to:
(1) Adequate funding of the university in accordance with Taraba State Law No. 4 of 2008,
(2) Provision of funds for the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA),
(3) Implementation of staff pension and gratuity schemes,
(4) Clearance of salary backlogs,
(5)Constituting a functional Governing Council, and
(6) Implementation of the minimum wage and consequential adjustments.
“With the degree of progress witnessed thus far, I sincerely appreciate His Excellency, Dr. Agbu Kefas, and his dedicated team, including the Ministry for Tertiary Education
“I humbly urge that this momentum be sustained to ensure the complete and exhaustive resolution of the remaining issues within the mutually agreed timelines. Such actions will not only restore confidence but also solidify the administration’s legacy of prioritizing education and the welfare of its workforce”
In his submission, another Associate Professor of Political Science (Political Economy and Development Studies and a Fellow of the Institute of Policy Management Development IPMD, Amos Jev, hail governor Kefas for outstanding decision.
He described the development as a liberation of poverty among staff to enable them deliver the best that is require to place the university on the global map of academic standard.
“Let me begin by saying that “education is for the liberation of the people” When you give people education, you have liberated them from the shackles of poverty, deprivation and want.
“I think the recent steps taken by the Taraba State government which led to the timely resolution of the industrial dispute between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is quite commendable. The initial apprehension that the crisis will go or the Government was going to go the way of Yahaya Bello, former Governor of Kogi State would have been the worst decision to have been taken by the government.
“Since the event of irregular sacking of academic staff in Kogi State University, that university has not recovered from the ill-informed decision by the former Governor of the State.
“The Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Kefas Agbu choose to toy the path of wisdom and public opinion, has endeared him to many who thought he was going to do otherwise. I think the Governor needs commendation and support to do more.
“The only legacy you can leave for the people is the legacy of investment in education of the people. Posterity will forever remember him for that singular action he took to quickly restore normalcy in the university.
“Yes, some people may say, he was advised to do so but like former President Olusegun Obasanjo said, “as advisers you’re free to advise him, but he is not under any obligation to act based on your advice” In the same way, the governor could have chosen to act arbitrary but that he chose to act in the interest of the good people of Taraba State whose children’s education was thrown into crisis for no fault of theirs, I think the governor deserves accolades.
“It is my humble opinion that Dr. Kefas Agbu will continue with the good gesture in order to reposition the educational sector in Taraba for the good of the people of the State and generations yet unborn will remember him for that singular action he took decisively in resolving the industrial crisis in the university.
“What makes a leader great is his ability to take decisions whether good or bad. This singular action has distinguished him from others who could have taken the decision that would have compounded the situation and allowing the crisis to destroy the University several years after he might have left government. I quite commend His Excellency, the Executive Governor of Taraba State and wish him Goodluck.”
