Yola, Adamawa State – The workers in Adamawa State’s tertiary institutions will go on industrial action to resolve issues that have plagued the sector for decades. The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the academic and non-academic staff of state-owned tertiary institutions issued a statement that a warning strike would begin on March 3, 2025, and an all-out indefinite strike on March 10, 2025, if the state government fails to address their demands.
The JAC, which is composed of various unions like the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), and many others, has expressed grave concern regarding the government’s failure to address fundamental issues that pertain to workers within institutions of tertiary learning in the state.
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Salary and Benefits at the Centre of the Agitation
One of the key demands of the JAC is the full implementation of the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTEDISS). This includes the implementation of the Consolidated Polytechnic and Colleges of Education Academic Staff Structure (CONPCASS) and the Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS), which the government had already agreed to. But the committee observed that health workers are the only ones enjoying these pay structures in total, with others still receiving only 74.6% of the projected pay, thus the lowest in the Northeast region.
The JAC argues that the delay in the complete implementation of these salary schemes has caused financial suffering to workers, leading to serious discontent among all Adamawa state-owned tertiary institutions. This has been compounded by the federal government’s new tax reforms, which were introduced in October 2024. The federal tax reform, according to the JAC, has left the workers with a significant monthly pay deficit, further deteriorating the financial health of the workers.
The JAC has also mentioned the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission’s circular of September 2024, which introduced a new table to the Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure, which, the union maintains, has not been fully applied at the state level. Such non-adherence to the new salary table is seen as one of the principal reasons for the existing salary shortage.
Career Growth and Appointment of Principal Officers
Aside from salary issues, the JAC has also grumbled about the lack of career growth within the institutions. One of the key demands is that the state government appoints the principal officers of the state’s tertiary institutions from within, so as to offer room for career growth among the existing personnel and prevent the brain drain that has been facing the sector. The committee has argued that stimulating leadership in the institutions will provide a stable and motivated working force, rather than relying on external appointments that do not have full knowledge of the institutions’ problems.
In order to bring the crisis to an end, the JAC has given the state government a 14-working-day ultimatum. The committee served the government notice on January 29, 2025, requesting that the government take prompt action regarding the issues raised. The ultimatum time expires on February 13, 2025.
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The Imminent Strike and its Consequences
The warning strike, which is to begin on March 3, 2025, will be followed by the real industrial action that begins on March 10, 2025. The JAC was categorical that if their conditions are not fulfilled within the time frame agreed upon, the indefinite strike will go on, leading to academic disturbances in state-owned higher institutions of learning within Adamawa.
The impending strike has created a wide sense of concern, with its ability to have severe effects not just on the school calendar but also on the state’s education system. The students, teachers, and other workers are readying themselves for the possible disruption, with most fearing that a prolonged strike could lead to an academic crisis in the state.
Call for Immediate Government Intervention
As the deadline for the warning strike draws near, the Adamawa State Government is under mounting pressure to move and prevent the impending strike. Economists have warned that a strike in the state’s tertiary institutions would destabilize the institution of learning, which has been underequipped and underfunded. The threatened industrial action has raised genuine concerns about the future of postsecondary education in the state.
The JAC has requested the state government to act speedily and decisively to solve the issues, namely the disparity in salary, lack of career progression, and delay in implementing the sanctioned salary scales. In the statement made public by the JAC, the unions pointed out that their patience has worn thinner after years of unfulfilled promises and pending demands.
The State Government’s Response
As of now, there has been no public response by the Adamawa State Government to the unions’ demand. Having set March 3, 2025, as the start date for the warning strike, the government now has a key window of opportunity to engage the unions in negotiation and avoid a complete strike that will have lasting consequences.
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The JAC once again upheld its commitment to peaceful negotiation and is optimistic of a positive response from the government on their cause. But the unions made it very clear that if once again the demand is ignored, there will be no other alternative left except to proceed with the strike action as decided.
The future of Adamawa State’s universities is now on the line as both the state government and the unions engage in a high-stakes confrontation. As the workers insist on improved working conditions and reasonable pay, the government finds itself under mounting pressure to settle the matter before it spirals out of control.
With the strike countdown on, all eyes now turn to the Adamawa State Government to act quickly in order not to allow a crisis that can have a long-lasting impact on the education system of the state.
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Contributed by Zainab Usman and Edited by Mr. Chibueze Onwuka