Gov Kefas Approves N500m To End ASUU Strike
By Godwin Agia, Jalingo
The Governor of Taraba State, Dr. Agbu Kefas, has sanctioned a financial allocation of N500 million to Taraba State University in Jalingo.
This announcement was made by the State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mike Dio Jen, during an interaction with journalists in Jalingo on Monday.
According to the Commissioner, Dr. Agbu highlighted that this additional N300 million supplements the previously approved N200 million, bringing the total to N500 million.
He urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to call off their strike to facilitate the resumption of the institution’s activities.
Dr. Mike elaborated, “The governor inherited outstanding salaries from approximately two years ago, along with Earned Academic Allowance and Administrative Allowance for non-academic staff, amounting to over N4 billion.
“On March 12, 2026, following a meeting with union leaders, the governor authorized a sum exceeding N3 billion and immediately approved the release of N200 million to them. He assured ASUU that, starting in April, N100 million would be released monthly to address the backlog of the union’s demands. Today, he has approved an additional N300 million upfront to cover the months of April, May, and June.
“Upon assuming office, he committed to addressing these issues, and the government has already disbursed over N1 billion. We have entered into an agreement with them that encompasses various demands concerning the welfare of both academic and non-academic staff, including issues related to promotion and unpaid salaries.
“Upon taking office, we swiftly addressed seven demands presented by the academic and non-academic staff unions. All seven demands were discussed, with five being fully resolved. The two remaining major issues pertain to pensions, gratuities, and the payment of salary arrears, along with the Earned Academic Allowance and Administrative Allowance. Upon assuming office, the governor approved the release of N200 million, with an agreement to release N50 million monthly until all outstanding issues are resolved.
“Given the current situation in the country, the government’s income and resources are inconsistent and fluctuate. Even allocations from the federal account are not consistent, and there are competing demands, including addressing insecurity, which consumes substantial state resources.
“When the government reduced school fees by 50%, the primary revenue source, it decided to assume full responsibility for salary payments, which increased from N308 million per month to N637,018,444.97 per month due to the implementation of the new minimum wage, making it the highest-paid institution in northern Nigeria,” he stated.
Highlighting some of the governor’s accomplishments at the university, Dio noted that Dr. Agbu Kefas had previously allocated over N2 billion for hostel renovations and spent N400 million on constructing a new hostel. Additionally, he approved the release of over N1.43 billion for course accreditation in six higher institutions within the state.
