YENAGOA — The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has suspended its indefinite strike at Niger Delta University, NDU, following an agreement reached with the Bayelsa State Government on the payment of outstanding allowances and wage award arrears.
The university’s ASUU branch had commenced the industrial action over delays in implementing the Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance, CATA, and Professional Allowance for academic staff. The dispute has now been temporarily resolved through a Collective Bargaining Agreement signed between the union and the state government, according to the branch leadership.
Chairperson of ASUU-NDU, Lucky Bebeteidoh, announced the suspension while addressing journalists in Yenagoa on Saturday. He explained that the decision followed commitments made by the Bayelsa State Government concerning both the commencement of current allowance payments and the settlement of accumulated arrears owed to members.
Bebeteidoh said the agreement provides for the payment of CATA and Professional Allowance to begin from October 2026. The arrangement also covers nine months of outstanding CATA and Professional Allowance payments, with the government expected to commence settlement of those arrears from January 2027.
The agreement further provides for the payment of 19 months of wage award arrears beginning in January 2027. The union said these commitments formed an important basis for its decision to suspend the industrial action and return to the agreed framework for resolving the issues between the academic staff and the state government.
The ASUU-NDU chairperson said the agreement also contains provisions aimed at protecting members who participated in the strike. According to him, the government agreed that no member of the union would be victimised because of participation in the industrial action.
The agreement nevertheless leaves room for further action if its provisions are substantially breached. Under the terms reached by both sides, ASUU may take measures it considers necessary, provided such action remains within applicable labour laws, should the Bayelsa State Government fail to substantially honour its commitments.
Bebeteidoh described the Collective Bargaining Agreement as the basis for suspending the strike, while expressing appreciation to Governor Douye Diri for his role and support in reaching an understanding with the university’s academic staff.
Despite the suspension, however, the union leadership raised wider concerns about the financial condition of Niger Delta University. Bebeteidoh argued that the current system through which the institution receives government funding was creating serious challenges for the university and could undermine its ability to operate effectively if not reviewed.
He specifically criticised what he described as the state government’s subvention policy, warning that the funding arrangement was gradually weakening the institution. He appealed to the governor to reconsider the policy and examine alternative ways of providing the university with adequate financial support.
According to the ASUU-NDU chairperson, the concerns extend beyond staff remuneration and affect the broader conditions under which members of the university community work. He said inadequate staff accommodation was another major challenge affecting productivity and the welfare of academic workers.
Bebeteidoh said many university employees have to travel daily between Yenagoa and Amassoma because of the lack of adequate housing facilities close to the institution. He noted that some staff members cover significant distances every day, with the journey involving travelling to the university and returning home after work.
He argued that the daily commute could affect the productivity of workers, particularly after long journeys using either public transportation or personal vehicles. The union therefore called on the state government to consider the construction of housing units for university staff as part of efforts to improve working conditions at NDU.
The ASUU-NDU leadership also appealed for a review of the university’s financial arrangements, saying the institution requires stronger and more sustainable support to address its operational challenges. Bebeteidoh urged Governor Diri to pay attention to the union’s concerns over funding and staff accommodation.
The suspension of the strike means the immediate dispute over the delayed allowances has moved from industrial action to implementation of the commitments contained in the collective agreement. The payment timetable agreed by the government will therefore be closely tied to the continued resolution of the issues that led academic staff to withdraw their services.
For the union, the agreement provides a framework for addressing both the current allowance payments and outstanding financial obligations. The inclusion of provisions concerning arrears and non-victimisation also formed part of the terms under which the indefinite strike was suspended.
The union, however, made clear that the suspension does not remove its right to respond if the agreement is substantially violated. The provision allowing action within the relevant labour laws gives ASUU a mechanism to pursue further steps should the commitments reached with the Bayelsa government not be implemented as agreed.
Bebeteidoh said the union remained concerned about the longer-term condition of Niger Delta University and maintained that addressing funding and accommodation challenges would be essential to improving the working environment for staff and supporting the institution’s effectiveness.
He urged the state government to look critically at the existing subvention arrangement and take steps to strengthen the university’s financial position. He also appealed for intervention in the housing situation, arguing that improved accommodation would reduce the burden of daily commuting on members of the university community.
The development brings an end, for now, to the indefinite industrial action by ASUU at Niger Delta University after the two sides reached commitments covering allowances, arrears and the protection of participating union members.
The next stage will depend on the implementation of the agreed payment schedule, particularly the commencement of CATA and Professional Allowance payments in October 2026 and the settlement of the outstanding allowances and 19 months of wage award arrears from January 2027.
While the strike has been suspended, ASUU-NDU’s additional concerns over institutional funding and staff accommodation remain unresolved issues. The union has therefore continued to call for broader government intervention to address what it considers structural challenges facing the university.
The agreement has provided an immediate basis for ending the industrial dispute, but the union’s position indicates that sustained implementation and wider improvements in the university’s operating environment will remain important to maintaining industrial peace at Niger Delta University.
ASUU Suspends Indefinite Strike at Niger Delta University After Bayelsa Government Agreement
