Cross River varsity ASUU resumes strike over salary arrears

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Cross River State, has resumed its indefinite strike over the non-payment of two months’ salaries and the failure of the state government to implement agreements reached with the union.

The development followed the expiration of a 90-day window reportedly granted by Governor Bassey Otu in July, when he met with the union’s leadership and university management to resolve the dispute and persuade lecturers to suspend their strike.

The decision was taken at an emergency congress held on Monday at the Prefab Hall of the university’s Calabar main campus.

The union said the industrial action would continue indefinitely until the state government implemented the 2025 agreement reached with ASUU and addressed the outstanding welfare issues affecting its members.

The 90-day period elapsed on October 21 without the government fully meeting the union’s demands.

Confirming the resumption of the strike in a statement made available to journalists on Tuesday in Calabar, the ASUU chairman, Dr Patrick Ushie, expressed disappointment over what he described as “the government’s failure to honour its promises.”

He said, “The strike action was suspended that time because of the government intervention, but they have failed in the agreement, so we just resumed back. This particular one, it’s still indefinite.”

Ushie disclosed that lecturers were being owed two months’ salaries, adding that the non-payment of their September and October entitlements was a major reason for the renewed industrial action.

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“Why are they not giving us the salary? It’s not as if it’s a gift, it’s a salary that we have worked for. As I speak with you now, they are owing us two months,” he said.

The union chairman also dismissed reports that the government had approved the payment of some outstanding entitlements, saying there was no official communication confirming the release of the funds.

“We are hearing rumours, even though it’s not written on paper that the governor has given approval. But he gave approval three months ago, and obviously I have not been paid also, meaning that he didn’t follow up the approval,” he added.

Ushie directed members of the union to withdraw their services until the government addressed their grievances.

“No teaching, no supervision, no anything that affects our teaching staff,” he said.

He, however, expressed the union’s readiness to return to work immediately if the outstanding salaries and other agreements were fulfilled.

“That’s all. If they need to pay us tonight, tomorrow morning we’ll resume,” the chairman added.