Students To Remain At Home In Gombe As Billiri, Bajoga, Kaltungo, Nafada Institutions Closed Indefinitely

Students To Remain At Home In Gombe

 

OpenLife News reports that students of four public tertiary institutions in Gombe State will remain at home from Tuesday as lecturers and non-academic staff begin an indefinite strike over unresolved salary and welfare issues.

The Joint Union of Gombe State Tertiary Institutions (JOUGTIN) in a communiqué dated October 19, 2026, said the strike will commence at midnight on October 20, after the expiration of a one-month window given to the state government.

The affected institutions are College of Education, Billiri; Gombe State Polytechnic, Bajoga; College of Health Science and Technology, Kaltungo; and College of Education and Legal Studies, Nafada.

JOUGTIN comprises five unions — COEASU, ASUP, SSUCOEN, SSANIP and NASU — representing academic and non-academic staff.

The union said it had earlier issued a 14-day ultimatum on August 17, which expired on August 31, prompting a two-week warning strike from September 2.

According to the communiqué, the state government appealed for suspension of the planned indefinite strike and requested one month to negotiate and make concrete commitments, which the unions granted in the interest of industrial harmony until October 16.

The union in Gombe State said it reminded government of the agreement in a letter dated October 6.

However, at a meeting on October 17 attended by the Permanent Secretary on behalf of the Commissioner for Education, the government again asked for more time without presenting a verifiable offer.

JOUGTIN said its leadership could not grant another extension because congresses of constituent unions had resolved to commence an indefinite strike if demands were not met after the deadline.

The demands include implementation of the N30,000 and N70,000 national minimum wage, consequential adjustments, the approved 25 and 35 percent CONPCASS/CONTISS salary adjustments and the 2024 salary structure.

Others are payment of outstanding minimum-wage-related adjustments, wage awards and palliatives to cushion fuel subsidy removal, annual increments outstanding for over eight years, and implementation of approved CATA and CONTTA allowances.

The union said the decision was not easy, apologized to students, parents and stakeholders for the disruption, but stressed that meeting the demands was crucial for staff welfare and institutional stability.

It urged members to remain peaceful and united, while expressing readiness for negotiations that would produce concrete and credible commitments.