By Amos Aar
BENUE State Governor, Rev. Fr. Hyacinth Alia, has approved the immediate implementation of all outstanding demands made by university-based unions, bringing an end to years of industrial unrest at the Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University, Makurdi (MOAUM).
The approval followed a successful negotiation between the government team led by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Dcns. Serumun Deborah Aber, Esq., the university management under the Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Terver Ubwa, and representatives of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
In a letter dated October 31, 2025, and signed by the Permanent Secretary (General Services) on behalf of the SSG, the governor endorsed the resolutions captured in the Memorandum of Agreement aimed at resolving issues that have lingered since 2018.
The approved demands include the immediate and full implementation of the new minimum wage template presented by the unions, as well as the payment of arrears from November 2023 to date. The governor also directed the proper placement and payment of salary entitlements to all previously promoted staff, beginning with October 2025 salaries.
The state government further committed to clearing arrears of deferred promotion entitlements accumulated since 2018 at a later date, while efforts have been intensified to recruit a substantive Vice-Chancellor for the university.
In a statement issued on Saturday, the university’s Registrar, Mr. Barnabas Terfa Hema, expressed profound appreciation to Governor Alia for his prompt intervention and commitment to the welfare of staff.
“The management of the university wishes to express its deep gratitude to the Visitor for addressing all welfare-related concerns that have caused prolonged industrial disharmony within the institution,” Hema stated.
He noted that the governor’s intervention has restored hope and confidence among staff, adding that the university community is now set to focus on academic stability and institutional growth.
