BSU Lecturers Begin Indefinite Strike Over Unpaid Arrears

Academic activities at Benue State University have been thrown into uncertainty following the decision of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), BSU branch, to embark on an indefinite strike

The industrial action, announced after a congress meeting of the union, stems from unresolved welfare and governance concerns affecting lecturers and retired staff According to the union, repeated efforts to engage the university management, governing council, and the Benue State Government failed to produce a lasting solution

The strike is expected to impact teaching, research, and other academic activities across the institution as lecturers insist they will remain off duty until meaningful agreements are reached

ASUU BSU Declares Indefinite Strike

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Benue State University branch, has officially commenced an indefinite and comprehensive strike action

The decision was reached during the union’s congress meeting held on June 1, 2026 Union leaders explained that the action became necessary after prolonged discussions with relevant authorities failed to address the concerns raised by academic staff

According to the union, several meetings and negotiations were held with the university administration, governing council, and state government without any concrete commitments being documented or implemented

Why Benue State University Lecturers Are On Strike

ASUU BSU stated that the strike was triggered by multiple unresolved welfare and administrative issues affecting both serving and retired members of staff

Some of the key grievances include:

Unpaid Promotion Arrears

Lecturers accused the authorities of failing to settle promotion arrears owed to eligible academic staff, despite repeated demands

Pension and Gratuity Challenges

The union expressed concern over the continued non payment of pensions and gratuities to retired university employees, describing the situation as unacceptable

Health Insurance and Pension Remittances

ASUU also cited the absence of an effective health insurance scheme and irregular pension remittances as major welfare issues affecting members

Outstanding Wage Award Arrears

The lecturers are demanding the payment of outstanding 25 percent and 35 percent wage award arrears, which they say remain unpaid

Salary Adjustment and Taxation Issues

Other concerns include the incomplete implementation of the consequential adjustment to academic salaries agreement and unresolved taxation matters affecting staff earnings

Union Criticises University Administration

The union alleged that instead of engaging through a formal Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) or Memorandum of Action (MoA), the university administration opted for isolated payments that did not address the broader issues

ASUU maintained that such payments lacked a negotiated framework and failed to provide a sustainable roadmap for resolving the dispute

The union therefore insisted that only binding agreements with clear implementation timelines would be acceptable moving forward

Impact of the Strike on Students and Academic Activities

With the strike now in effect, lectures, examinations, research activities, and other academic programs may face significant disruptions

Students of Benue State University are likely to experience delays in academic schedules if negotiations between the union and the government do not yield quick results

Education stakeholders are expected to closely monitor developments as calls grow for urgent intervention to prevent a prolonged shutdown of academic activities at the institution