By Emmanuel Awari
JALINGO— The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Taraba State University Chapter, has announced that its strike will continue until all its demands are fully implemented, similar to the agreements reached by other unions within the university.
In a statement issued to journalists in Jalingo, Comrade Bitrus Ajibauka, the SSANU State Chairperson and JAC Chairman, emphasized that despite some progress, the union will remain on strike until the state government fully addresses its outstanding issues.
The union’s emergency congress, held on January 16, 2025, resolved to continue the indefinite strike until key demands were met, including the payment of unpaid salaries and promotion arrears, as well as the implementation of agreements on Earned Administrative Allowances (EAA).
“We commend the state government for its efforts on some of our demands, but we will not back down until all our issues are fully addressed,” Ajibauka stated.
Key unresolved issues include the payment of full salaries for September and October 2022, as well as withheld salary balances for June, November, and December 2022.
The union also reiterated its demand for the payment of promotion arrears from 2016 to 2020, in line with the treatment of other sister unions at the university.
The union also highlighted its concerns regarding the retrogressive application of promotion guidelines for senior non-academic staff and urged the state Ministry of Tertiary Education to ensure that the university management follows the approved 2020 guidelines for the 2023/2024 appraisal exercise.
In addition, the union commended the state government for initiating work on the university pension scheme, though it advocated for the establishment of a Tertiary Education Pension Board.
The union also praised the state government for implementing the new national minimum wage of N70,000 and paying peculiar allowances, but emphasized that full compliance with all agreements is essential for ending the strike.