The Academic Staff Union of Universities, Sa’adu Zungur University branch, ASUU-SAZU, has warned the Bauchi State Government of a fresh industrial crisis over pension arrears accumulated for more than 10 years.
The union said some of its members had retired in poverty, while others died without receiving their retirement benefits, accusing relevant government officials of neglecting their welfare despite an agreement reached to resolve the matter.
In a statement issued on Wednesday, the branch chairman and secretary, Awwal Hussain Nuhu and Saleh Bagudu Rimi, said the union would no longer guarantee industrial peace if the outstanding entitlements were not urgently paid.
The lecturers specifically held the Head of Civil Service responsible for any breakdown of industrial harmony, accusing the relevant authorities of failing to implement the pension component of the agreement signed with the state government.
ASUU-SAZU said the payment of the arrears was one of the major provisions of the Memorandum of Understanding reached with the Bauchi State Government after its indefinite strike of November 29, 2024.
The agreement followed the intervention of Governor Bala Mohammed, who also committed to improving the university's funding and addressing other outstanding issues affecting academic staff.
Although the union acknowledged improvements in government funding, which it said had strengthened the university's financial position, it expressed concern that the pension issue remained unresolved.
It said the deadline for implementing the agreement expired on December 9, 2025, without the accumulated pension obligations being settled.
According to the union, Governor Mohammed had directed the Head of Civil Service, the Commissioner for Higher Education and the university's Governing Council to address the backlog, but the agencies had failed to take meaningful action.
The lecturers further alleged that several letters sent to the relevant authorities seeking the payment of the arrears had gone unanswered.
Describing the situation as unfair to academics who had spent years in public service, the union said the failure to pay their entitlements had subjected many members to severe financial hardship.
“Some affected comrades have retired in penury, some have died without enjoying their benefits, some have left the service in frustration, while the majority remain at their duty posts, grinding it hard under excruciating conditions,” the statement said.
The union accused government officials of displaying indifference to the plight of its members, warning that their conduct could undermine the governor's efforts to strengthen the state-owned university.
It said the prolonged delay had created anger, frustration and declining confidence among lecturers, making it increasingly difficult to maintain industrial harmony.
ASUU-SAZU appealed to the governor, in his capacity as Visitor to the university, to intervene and direct the relevant authorities to clear the outstanding pension arrears.
It insisted that its members should not be expected to continue working under what it described as an unjust situation without receiving their legitimate entitlements.
“ASUU-SAZU cannot and will not continue to guarantee industrial harmony while our members are subjected to this brazen injustice,” the union declared.
While expressing its willingness to resolve the dispute through dialogue, the union warned that it would explore all legitimate means available to protect the interests of its members.
It reiterated that the Head of Civil Service should be held fully responsible if the failure to settle the pension arrears resulted in another industrial dispute at the university.
‘Our members are dying without pensions’ - Bauchi ASUU threatens showdown with govt