Universities Shut Down Looms: ASUU Gombe State University Declares Indefinite Strike

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The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Gombe State University (GSU) chapter, has declared an indefinite strike following the Gombe State government’s failure to meet their demands. This marks the first internal strike since the establishment of the university.

At a press conference held yesterday, Suleiman Salihu Jauro, the chapter chairman, and Mustapha M. Shehu, the secretary, detailed the reasons for the strike, which include the non-implementation of the 2021 Memorandum of Action (MOA) on increased funding. The union also cited several other concerns, such as the non-payment of accumulated Earned Academic Allowances, lack of a training fund for academic staff, failure to adjust the minimum wage to ₦30,000, and non-fulfillment of wage awards for academic staff.

The union representatives further highlighted the non-payment of promotion arrears for four consecutive years and the absence of a white paper following the 2023 university visitation. They criticized the state government for not adhering to an agreement to increase the monthly subvention by ₦10 million, which was only provided for two months in 2021. They argued that this ongoing underfunding has forced the university to introduce additional fees, imposing further financial strain on students.

ASUU-GSU emphasized that its members have endured worsening conditions due to inadequate funding, failure to implement the 2021 MOA, and refusal to adjust the current salary structure. The union revealed that attempts to resolve these issues through interventions from prominent state figures have yielded no tangible results.

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