Taraba varsity ASUU questions commissioner’s capacity to handle dispute

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Taraba State University, TSU, branch, has questioned the capacity of the Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mike Dio Jen, to effectively manage the industrial dispute between the union and the Taraba State government.

The union expressed concern over the commissioner’s recent description of its ongoing strike as unconstitutional and illegal, describing the remarks as disheartening, misleading and an indication of his inability to discharge his responsibilities as the principal government representative in the dispute.

In a statement signed on Friday by its chairman, Dr. Joshua Garba Mbave, ASUU-TSU accused the commissioner of misrepresenting the circumstances surrounding the industrial action and attempting to pressure the union into abandoning its legitimate demands.

The union urged the commissioner to take cognisance of the events leading to the strike, stressing that its decision was based on resolutions of its national leadership and the need to compel the implementation of agreements reached with the state government.

“The National Executive Council, NEC, of ASUU, at its meeting held in Abuja on August 8 and 9, 2026, directed branches yet to secure the implementation of the 2025 Agreement to embark on appropriate industrial action”, Mbave said.

It maintained that the strike was neither a unilateral decision by the TSU branch nor an action taken outside the established structures and directives of the union.

ASUU-TSU further disclosed that following successive ultimatums, several meetings were held with relevant government authorities in an effort to resolve the dispute through dialogue and prevent an escalation of the crisis.

The union said a report of the engagements was subsequently submitted for onward presentation to Governor Agbu Kefas for consideration and approval, but regretted that the commitments made during the negotiations had not translated into concrete action.

“It is, accordingly, incomprehensible that an official who was fully apprised of the sequence of events, the Union’s resolutions and the commitments made during the negotiations should now publicly describe the Union’s action as unconstitutional and illegal,” the statement read.

The union argued that the commissioner’s conduct raised serious questions about his capacity to manage the dispute, adding that he could not participate in negotiations, fail to secure the necessary government intervention and subsequently portray the union as an obstacle to industrial harmony.

Meanwhile, ASUU-TSU commended Governor Agbu Kefas for what it described as positive interventions by his administration towards addressing the welfare concerns of academic staff and sustaining stability at the university.

The union particularly acknowledged the governor’s visit to the institution and his assurance that outstanding entitlements would be paid in line with those of academic staff in other universities.

It also listed the commencement of pension payments to retired academic staff, sustained payment of monthly salaries, the release of N100 million monthly towards the liquidation of accumulated Earned Academic Allowance, EAA, and the mainstreaming of EAA into the monthly salary structure of academic staff among the administration’s achievements.

“The measures demonstrate that constructive engagement can produce meaningful results when supported by the necessary political will,” the statement said.

It urged the governor to sustain the interventions until all outstanding obligations were fully settled.

ASUU-TSU reaffirmed its willingness to engage in constructive dialogue, expressing confidence that the outstanding issues could be resolved through the collective commitment of all parties.

The union, however, called on the state government to ensure the full implementation of the 2025 Agreement and payment of all accrued arrears, describing these as the surest means of restoring industrial harmony and normal academic activities at Taraba State University.