Academic activities have been grounded again at the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) as lecturers have withdrawn their services over unpaid salaries.
The lecturers, under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), UNICROSS chapter, said they resumed the strike, which was suspended in July, after the state government failed to honour the agreement reached with them.
It was gathered that Governor Bassey Otu had intervened in July and appealed to the union to give his administration a 90-day window to address their grievances. The window elapsed on October 21.
At an emergency congress held on Monday at the Prefab Hall, Calabar main campus, members resolved to resume the indefinite industrial action until their demands are met.
The union is demanding the payment of two months’ salary arrears and the full implementation of the 2025 agreement.
Confirming the development to journalists on Tuesday in Calabar, the Chairman of ASUU in the institution, Dr Patrick Ushie, said the government had failed to keep its side of the agreement.
He said, “The strike action was suspended that time because of the government intervention, but they failed in the agreement, so we just resumed back. This particular one, it’s still indefinite.”
Ushie said the immediate trigger for the resumption was the non-payment of September and October salaries.
“Why are they not giving us the salary? It’s not as if it’s a gift, it’s a salary that we have worked for. As I speak with you now, they are owing us two months,” he said.
He dismissed speculations that the government had approved payment of the arrears, noting that no official letter to that effect had been communicated to the union.
“We are hearing rumours, even though it’s not written on paper that the governor has given approval. But he gave approval three months ago, and obviously I have not been paid also, meaning that he didn’t follow up the approval,” Ushie added.
The chairman directed all members to stay away from academic duties.
“No teaching, no supervision, no anything that affects our teaching staff,” he declared.
He, however, said the union was willing to call off the action if the government acted quickly.
“That’s all. If they need to pay us tonight, tomorrow morning we’ll resume,” he said.
