ASUU declares indefinite strike at Bayelsa varsities over CBA, 19-month arrears

Academic activities at Niger Delta University (NDU) and Bayelsa Medical University (BMU) have ground to a halt as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) initiated an indefinite strike. The union's action stems from the Bayelsa State government's alleged failure to honor agreements previously signed with its academic staff.

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The agreement had an implementation timeline of January 2026. We are now in August 2026, and nothing has been done.

The strike was formally declared following enlarged congresses held on the Amassoma and Yenagoa campuses, where hundreds of lecturers resolved to cease work. ASUU-NDU Chairperson, Comrade Oyinkepreye Lucky Bebeteidoh, confirmed the decision, citing the government's non-implementation of a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) that was signed in December 2025 with an agreed implementation timeline of January 2026.

Central to the union's demands is the implementation of the computed figure for the Consolidated Academic Salary Structure (CATA) across the three state-owned universities, totaling over 336 million naira for all academic staff. Bebeteidoh criticized the state government's delay, noting that numerous other states with lower revenues have already implemented similar agreements, questioning why Bayelsa lags behind.

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Available records show that more than 10 states who do not get half of what comes to Bayelsa State government from the Federation Account have implemented. Other states did not wait for Bayelsa State government to implement before they started. Why will Bayelsa State government wait for other states to implement before they do?

Furthermore, ASUU highlighted outstanding arrears amounting to 19 months for wage awards. These awards, initially intended to mitigate economic hardship, were partially paid, leaving a significant balance. Despite a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed in February 2025, which led to the suspension of a previous industrial action, the union states that no progress has been made on settling these arrears, prompting the current strike.

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More than a year after the signing of the MoU, no action has been taken on the 19 months Arrears.