Governor Agbu Kefas has been urged by the Taraba State Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, or ASUP, to grant the long-anticipated 25–35% pay increase to employees at Taraba State Polytechnic, Suntai.
During a news briefing at the university’s Jalingo campus, Dr. Bala Sule, the recently elected ASUP Chairman in the state, made the call.
Dr. Sule bemoaned the backlog of unpaid salary arrears owing to employees and emphasized the ongoing delay in implementing the authorized pay increase.
He asked the state government to immediately respond to the association’s appeal, promising to make the financial well-being of union members a primary priority throughout his term.
“In my capacity as ASUP Chairman, I will make every effort to draw Governor Kefas’ attention and persuade him to enact our 25/35% pay rise.
Additionally, we will bring up the matter of unpaid salary arrears and inform him that it is not in the institution’s best interests to keep employees in financial hardship,” he said.
Dr. Sule stressed that the union would use diplomatic channels to pursue its objectives while understanding the difficulties faced by employees and ruling out the idea of industrial action.
“There will be no strike action of any kind while I’m in charge. We will pursue communication to make sure our concerns are acknowledged, even if the administration does not comply with our demands,” he promised.
In order to further engage the state administration and advocate for the execution of the salary adjustment, Dr. Sule also revealed plans to work with ASUP’s national and zonal leadership.
He reaffirmed the union’s dedication to employee welfare and underlined that the new leadership would keep looking for amicable and beneficial ways to resolve problems that impact its members.
