Gombe Tertiary Institutions Threaten Indefinite Strike, Issue 14-Day Ultimatum

The Joint Union of Gombe State Tertiary Institutions (JOUGTIN) has threatened to commence an indefinite strike if the state government fails to resolve outstanding salary, promotion and welfare-related entitlements owed to staff of public tertiary institutions, issuing a 14-day ultimatum.

This is contained in a communiqué issued on Sunday, signed by representatives of different member institutions in the state, following its joint meeting held earlier, on August 14, 2026.

According to the communiqué, the unions acknowledged Governor Muhammadu Inuwa Yahaya’s interventions in sustaining tertiary education. Still, they expressed concern that several previously agreed staff welfare issues remained unresolved despite repeated engagements with government authorities.

Among the demands is the implementation of the consolidated N70,000 national minimum wage and its consequential adjustments for workers in the state’s public tertiary institutions.

The unions also demanded the implementation of approved 25 per cent and 35 per cent CONPCASS/CONTISS salary adjustments, payment of outstanding consequential adjustments arising from the previous N30,000 minimum wage, including accrued arrears, as well as payment of approved wage awards and palliatives introduced to cushion economic hardship.

Other outstanding demands include implementation of staff promotions and payment of promotion arrears, some of which the union said date back several years.

JOUGTIN further demanded the implementation of annual salary increments for eligible workers and the approval of CATA and CONTTA allowances for staff of public tertiary institutions.

The unions said the prolonged non-payment of the entitlements had imposed an “unacceptable financial burden” on workers and their families, while negatively affecting staff welfare, morale, productivity and industrial relations in the tertiary education sector.

JOUGTIN said it had resorted to the ultimatum after exhausting various avenues of dialogue and constructive engagement with the government.

It, however, stressed that it remained committed to dialogue and peaceful engagement, saying the ultimatum was intended to draw attention to issues that had remained unresolved for an extended period rather than undermine its relationship with the government.

But the union warned that if the government failed to take satisfactory and concrete steps within 14 days, it would be compelled to take further legitimate industrial action, including the commencement of an indefinite strike, without further notice.

The union appealed to parents, students, traditional and community leaders, civil society organisations and members of the public to support efforts to achieve what it described as a fair and lasting resolution of the dispute, in the interest of industrial harmony and uninterrupted academic activities in the state.

JOUGTIN comprises the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union (COEASU), Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Senior Staff Union of Colleges of Education in Nigeria (SSUCOEN), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Polytechnics (SSANIP), and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).