By Wahab Adesina

Academic activities at two of Bayelsa State’s foremost tertiary institutions ground to a halt on Tuesday as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) declared an indefinite strike over the state government’s alleged refusal to honour agreements signed with the unions.

The industrial action, which affects Niger Delta University (NDU) and Bayelsa Medical University (BMU), followed separate enlarged congresses held at the Amassoma and Yenagoa campuses, with hundreds of lecturers in attendance.

At the Amassoma campus, ASUU-NDU Chairperson, Comrade Oyinkepreye Lucky Bebeteidoh, confirmed that lecturers had resolved to down tools until their demands are met, citing government’s failure to implement a Collective Bargaining Agreement (CBA) signed in December 2025.

“The agreement had an implementation timeline of January 2026. We are now in August 2026, and nothing has been done,” Bebeteidoh declared.

The union is demanding implementation of the computed figure of CATA (Consolidated Academic Salary Structure) for the three state-owned universities, totalling a staggering N336,936,294.87 for all academic staff, an agreement they say was validly signed on December 23, 2025.

Bebeteidoh emphasised that the state government’s delay was inexcusable, pointing out that several other states with lesser revenues had already implemented similar agreements.

“Available records show that more than 10 states who do not get half of what comes to Bayelsa State government from the Federation Account have implemented,” he said. 

“Other states did not wait for Bayelsa State government to implement before they started. Why will Bayelsa State government wait for other states to implement before they do?”

The union leadership also raised the alarm over outstanding arrears totalling 19 months on the 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage awards, which were originally meant to cushion the effects of economic hardship on workers.

According to the ASUU leadership, late implementation of the wage award initially created arrears of 25 months. While the government paid six months, it left a balance of 19 months with a promise that the remainder would be settled when state revenue improves.

The lecturers recalled that following the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the state government in February 2025, ASUU had suspended what they described as an “avoidable industrial action” forced upon them by the government.

“More than a year after the signing of the MoU, no action has been taken on the 19 months Arrears,” Bebeteidoh lamented, adding that the union had formally written to the state government in February 2026 to remind them of the signed agreement and the need to commence payment.