The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Bauchi Zone, on Thursday accused the governments of Gombe and Plateau states of failing to implement the 2025 Federal Government/ASUU Agreement, warning that the situation could lead to industrial unrest in the affected institutions.
The union said that although the agreement was reached among the Federal Government, state governments and ASUU on December 23, 2025, Gombe State University and Plateau State University were yet to put its provisions into effect.
Addressing journalists at Gombe State University, ASUU Bauchi Zonal Coordinator, Timothy-Aku Namo, said the refusal of the two state governments to implement the agreement had negatively affected lecturers’ welfare and increased dissatisfaction among academic staff.
“You may recall that the Federal Government of Nigeria signed an agreement with the Academic Staff Union of Universities on December 23, 2025, after protracted negotiations involving the Federal Government, state governments that own public universities and our union,” he said.
Namo explained that while the Federal Government had released funds for the salary component of the agreement and established an Implementation Monitoring Committee, several state governments had yet to meet their responsibilities.
“Many state governments are yet to commence implementation of the agreement. Some even claim that the agreement was signed between the Federal Government and ASUU alone,” he said.
The ASUU official revealed that a forensic audit carried out by the union’s National Executive Council on June 21, 2026, showed that only Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State and Ekiti State University had implemented the agreement among the state-owned institutions examined.
“After a forensic audit of the implementation of the agreement across our branches, the union concluded that, apart from Sa’adu Zungur University in Bauchi State and Ekiti State University, other state governments were unwilling to implement the agreement,” he said.
Namo expressed concern over what he described as the declining welfare conditions of university lecturers, noting that Gombe State University and Plateau State University had emerged as key areas of concern in the implementation dispute.
“The union lamented the worsening living conditions of Nigerian academics and directed further engagement with the media to draw public attention to the looming crisis in state universities, including Gombe State University and Plateau State University, which have refused to implement the 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement,” he said.
He added that the implementation issue was only one of several unresolved matters, as both institutions were also facing other challenges affecting staff welfare and industrial peace.
Namo called on the Visitors to the two universities to step in before the situation escalates into another industrial dispute.
“We call on the Visitors to Gombe State University and Plateau State University to direct the immediate implementation of the 2025 FGN/ASUU Agreement and address all other lingering issues, or risk industrial disharmony,” he warned.
He also appealed to parents, traditional rulers, religious leaders, the media and other stakeholders to urge the Gombe and Plateau state governments to take prompt action.
“We call on all well-meaning Nigerians, especially parents, traditional rulers, the clergy, the media and other stakeholders, to appeal to the Gombe and Plateau state governments to make hay while the sun shines,” he added.
