Lecturers at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University (ATBU), Bauchi, under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), have withdrawn their services in protest over the non-payment of their June 2025 salaries. The union announced the commencement of what it described as Active Non-Compliance (ANC), a directive from its National Executive Council aimed at pressing the Federal Government to fulfill its salary obligations.

Speaking at the ASUU Secretariat in Bauchi on Friday, the Branch Chairperson, Dr. Angulu Haruna, accused the government of deliberately neglecting university lecturers while other public sector workers are paid promptly. “Usually, our salaries always span into the first week of the next month. While other government organizations are being paid, the Federal Universities would be left out,” he said.

He added that the persistent delay, which the government attributes to the union’s withdrawal from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), is a clear indication of bias against university staff.

Dr. Haruna clarified that the ANC action is not a strike but a refusal to perform primary academic duties, including teaching and student engagement. “We are active but we are not complying to our primary duties. We did not close down the school… but we will not enter the classrooms to teach,” he said. According to him, the action will persist until salaries are paid, noting that lecturers would return to work immediately once payments are made.

Also speaking, the immediate past branch chairperson, Dr. Ibrahim Inuwa, described the payment delays as punitive. “It looks to us as if they are trying to punish us for pulling out of the IPPIS, and this is very unfortunate,” he said. He stressed that lecturers have endured similar delays in the past, sometimes waiting up to two weeks into a new month to receive their pay. The union reiterated that they are committed to their duties but demand equal treatment and timely compensation for their services.

Amstrong Bakam

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