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Governor Hyacinth Iormem Alia’s administration has highlighted significant strides in addressing long-standing welfare issues at Fr. Adasu University, Makurdi, as it appeals to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) chapter to reconsider its planned indefinite strike.
In a statement by Chief Press Secretary, Sir Tersoo Kula, the government noted that since assuming office in May 2023, Governor Alia inherited numerous financial and administrative challenges spanning several years. Despite economic realities, the administration has shown commitment to resolving these inherited problems.
Key achievements listed include:
– Full payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and Excess Workload arrears accumulated since 2009, cleared in January 2025.
– Implementation of the new minimum wage and settlement of all related arrears in October 2025.
– Payment of five months’ arrears of the 25%/35% wage award to academic staff.
– Implementation of the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) and associated arrears.
– Clearance of five months’ pension arrears to retirees.
– Successful digital capturing of university pensioners for integration into the state pension framework.
– Resolution of long-standing promotion bottlenecks for professors and academic staff.
– Clearing of promotion backlogs for non-academic staff.
– Implementation of the Health Insurance Scheme for staff and their families.
The statement emphasised that these interventions represent verifiable actions taken within three years to tackle issues that had remained unresolved for over a decade. It urged ASUU to reciprocate the government’s goodwill through continued dialogue rather than industrial action, warning that a prolonged strike would disrupt academic activities, delay graduations, and burden students and parents.
Governor Alia’s administration called for partnership over confrontation, stressing that the progress already made should form the foundation for sustained engagement to advance higher education in Benue State.
