ASUU declares strike at Benue varsity over unpaid salaries

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter at Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University (formerly Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi) has declared a total and comprehensive strike, effective immediately. The decision was made at a congress held on August 12, 2026, under the slogan "No-Pay-No-Work."

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We would like to say that at the time of this press release, the University has only paid the Consolidated Academic Staff Salaries and the Earned Academic Allowance components of the salaries to date.

Terseer Abari, the chairperson of ASUU-JOSTUM, stated that the strike is a response to the university authority's failure to pay all outstanding salaries owed to its members. Abari appealed to the relevant authorities to settle all pending payments to facilitate the resumption of academic activities.

According to Abari, the university has only disbursed two of the four agreed-upon components of the Federal Government and ASUU 2025 agreement. While the Consolidated Academic Staff Salaries and Earned Academic Allowance components have been paid, the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance and Professorial Allowance have only seen partial payments in January and February 2026, with only 39 percent of the CATA for March 2026 disbursed. This amounts to an underpayment of salaries for ASUU members.

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The remaining two components, Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance and Professorial Allowance, have only been paid in January and February 2026, while only 39 per cent of the CATA for March 2026 has also been paid. All these amount to underpayment of salaries of members of ASUU.

The congress resolved to activate the provision in the NEC resolution to embark on the strike, which will halt all teaching, student supervision, examinations, statutory meetings, and other academic activities. The strike will continue until the university clears all outstanding salary payments to the union members.

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For emphasis, there shall be no teaching, student’s supervision, examinations, statutory meetings and any other academic activity during the period of this strike, until the University pays all outstanding salaries of members of the Union.