From Godwin Agia, Jalingo
The Taraba State University (TSU) chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed concern over Governor Agbu Kefas’ silence regarding its 14-day ultimatum demanding the implementation of the 2025 ASUU/Federal Government agreement.
With the deadline set to expire on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, Governor Kefas remains the only northern governor yet to approve or address the financial commitments associated with the agreement, following Gombe State’s approval last week.
ASUU-TSU Branch Chairman, Dr. Joshua Garba Mbave, confirmed to newsmen that the state government has sent no official verbal or written response to the union’s demands since the ultimatum was issued.
Mbave noted that a recent meeting with officials from the Ministry of Tertiary Education yielded no concrete resolutions to convey to union members.
“We have not received any message from Governor Kefas—neither verbal nor written.
“After the ultimatum was issued, we had a meeting with the ministry, but nothing reasonable was discussed to communicate to our members.
“Our desire is to ensure academic excellence at the university, and it is unfortunate that the issue of an unstable academic calendar does not seem to concern the state government.
“This is about the implementation of the applicable provisions of the ASUU/FGN 2025 agreement, following directives and resolutions from our National Executive Council (NEC),” Mbave stated.
The union emphasized that the 14-day notice was a formal demand for immediate compliance rather than an invitation to begin open-ended negotiations.
The Chairman appealed to parents, students, traditional rulers, and key stakeholders to urge the governor to take action within the remaining timeframe, stating that the state government should be held responsible if industrial action resumes upon the ultimatum’s expiration.
Efforts to reach the Taraba State Commissioner for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mike Dio Jen, for official comments were unsuccessful, as phone calls and text messages sent to his mobile device went unanswered.
