By Zaharaddeen Ishaq Abubakar (Katsina Times)
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Umaru Musa Yar’adua University (UMYU) branch, has raised the alarm over the accumulation of more than 40 months’ salary-related arrears owed to some of its members.
The union also alleged that the payment of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) arrears, which had been paid in instalments, was stopped following the implementation of the 2025 ASUU-Federal Government agreement.
Chairman of ASUU-UMYU, Comrade Aminu Usman, disclosed this on Wednesday, September 30, 2026, during a press conference in Katsina.
According to him, the EAA arrears, which date back to the 2022/2023 academic session, were separate from the agreement reached with the Katsina State Government on the implementation of the 2025 ASUU-FGN agreement.
He said the allowance was an existing entitlement for work already performed by members, adding that some of the beneficiaries had died and their families were still relying on the outstanding payments.
Usman said the union was concerned that the payment of the EAA arrears was stopped after the implementation of the 2025 agreement.
He described the development as punitive and said the union believed the decision was outside the terms of reference of the committee established by the Katsina State Government to implement the agreement.
The union further said the outstanding arrears had accumulated to more than 40 months, citing the consequential adjustment arising from the N70,000 national minimum wage, the 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage awards, as well as arrears linked to the implementation of the 2025 ASUU-FGN agreement.
ASUU-UMYU also raised concerns over the alleged exclusion of academic staff on sabbatical and visiting appointments from the new salary structure and allowances.
It said the affected staff had complained that the new salaries and allowances were not reflected in their payments for August and September 2026.
The union demanded the immediate and unconditional resumption of payment of all outstanding EAA arrears.
It also called for a written and mutually agreed payment schedule for the liquidation of all outstanding arrears, as well as the inclusion of all academic staff, including visiting and sabbatical staff, in the new salary and allowances provided under the 2025 ASUU-FGN agreement.
According to the chairman, the union had written to the Visitor of the university and Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umar Radda, the Governing Council of UMYU and the Vice-Chancellor, seeking urgent intervention.
On its next line of action, ASUU-UMYU said it would reconvene its congress to review the situation and determine the appropriate steps to press for its demands.
The union warned that it could declare a trade dispute in accordance with existing labour laws if it did not receive a concrete positive response within a reasonable period.
ASUU-UMYU, however, said it remained committed to dialogue, industrial harmony and the preservation of academic stability at the university.
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