Benue University Academic Staff Begin Indefinite Strike

By Ayodele Oni

The Benue State University, (BSU) chapter of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has received the nod of the national body to proceed on an indefinite strike due to the institution’s failure to uphold its agreements.

This was contained in a statement signed by Kwaghfan Tarnongo, Chairperson, and  Terrumun Gajir, Secretary of ASUU-BSU.

The union, however, exonerated the Benue Government of any wrongdoing and commended it for regular funding of the university.

The statement reads “The National body of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has approved the request by the BSU to resume the strike it suspended on June 26, 2023.

“The permission to proceed on this strike was formally communicated to members of the Branch on Thursday at an emergency congress.”

The union listed its demands to include the implementation and payment of accrued arrears of 2021, 2022, and 2023 promotions and annual incremental steps.

Others are April 2023 salary arrears, the shortfall in the salaries of staff of the College of Health Sciences, payment of Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), and payment of sundry allowances.

The demands also include the non-enrolment and implementation of the National Health Insurance Scheme amongst other issues.

It said that the management of BSU had refused to address the welfare concerns of the union after a series of engagements with it.

“The most provocative of all is the tripartite agreement reached in January 2023 between the Benue Government, BSU management and the Governing Council and ASUU-BSU.

“This agreement which stipulated increased funding to the university to address the issues of promotion and annual increment is a road map to industrial harmony in BSU.

“The state government has kept its part of the agreement and has continued to sustain the additional funds to the university for specific purposes.”

It further alleged that the management of the BSU  had collected the additional funds from the government but refused to pay the staff their entitlements.

“This breach of the January 2023 agreement by the management of BSU led to the May 2023 strike by the branch.”

It said that the union suspended the strike in June 2023 following assurances by the management of BSU to adhere to the January 2023 agreement.

The union added that the university breached the agreement by failing to pay the arrears of annual increment since it started collecting the funds from the state Government in January 2023.