By Terna Chikpa
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Taraba State University branch, on Thursday issued a 14-day ultimatum to Governor Agbu Kefas, the state government and the university management to implement all outstanding demands of the union or face industrial action.
The ASUU branch Chairman, Dr Joshua Garba Mbave, disclosed this in a statement following a resolution reached at the union’s congress meeting held on August 13, 2026.
According to Mbave, the union warned that the ultimatum was not an invitation to commence another round of open-ended consultations, but a formal demand for compliance and implementation.
The statement said the union had previously engaged the government and exercised considerable restraint in the interest of industrial peace, academic stability and the uninterrupted functioning of the university.
It, however, said such restraint should not be misconstrued as acquiescence to continued delay, abandonment of legitimate entitlements or waiver of the rights of its members.
The union also described the continued non-implementation of the agreement as unacceptable and fundamentally inconsistent with the principles of good-faith negotiation.
The statement read in part, “Following extensive deliberations, Congress expressed grave concern over the continued failure of Taraba State Government to implement the applicable provisions of the Agreement, notwithstanding previous official communications by ASUU and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to the University Administration, the Governing Council and the Taraba State Government.
“We wish to hereby communicate the resolution of ASUU-TSU Congress held on 13th August 2026, pursuant to the directives and resolutions of the National Executive Council (NEC) of the Union, concerning the continued non-implementation of the applicable provisions of the ASUU/FGN 2025 Agreement.
“The Union considers the continued non-implementation of the Agreement unacceptable and fundamentally inconsistent with the principles of good-faith negotiation, collective bargaining, legitimate expectation and established industrial relations practice.
“Where parties have negotiated and reached a duly recognised agreement through the established process, the obligations arising therefrom must be honoured and implemented within the stipulated or otherwise reasonable timeframe.”
The union said it had consequently issued a 14-day ultimatum, beginning on August 13 and expiring on August 26, 2026, within which the government was expected to take “concrete, verifiable and demonstrable steps” towards implementing its demands.
ASUU-TSU said its demands included the immediate and full implementation of all applicable outstanding provisions of the ASUU/FGN 2025 Agreement and the payment of all applicable arrears and financial entitlements accruing from January 2026 to date.
The union added, “For the avoidance of doubt, the issuance of this ultimatum constitutes a formal demand for compliance and implementation. It is not an invitation to commence another round of open-ended consultations, nor does it constitute a request for further assurances, promises or undertakings unsupported by concrete implementation.
“The Union has hitherto engaged the government and has exercised considerable restraint in the interest of industrial peace, academic stability and the uninterrupted functioning of the University. Such restraint, however, must not be misconstrued as acquiescence to continued delay, abandonment of legitimate entitlements or waiver of the rights of our members.”
The union called on the Taraba State Government, the Governing Council and the university administration to treat the matter with the urgency it deserved and ensure full compliance within the stipulated period to avert further escalation of the dispute and its attendant consequences.
ASUU-TSU also appealed to members of the public and other well-meaning stakeholders to prevail on the government to do the needful by ensuring the prompt and full implementation of the applicable provisions of the ASUU/FGN 2025 Agreement.
