, Gombe State Chapter, has condemned the state government’s handling of the welfare demands of workers in){kind=link}
By Aliyu Bala Gerengi, Gombe
The Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Gombe State Chapter, has condemned the state government’s handling of the welfare demands of workers in government-owned tertiary institutions, blaming the situation for the ongoing warning strike by members of the Joint Union of Gombe State Tertiary Institutions (JOUGTIN).
In a statement signed by the party’s State Publicity Secretary, AbdulKadir Ahmad Dukku, the PDP said the government failed to adequately address the workers’ demands despite receiving a 14-day ultimatum issued by JOUGTIN on August 17, 2026.
The party said the ultimatum expired on August 31 without what it described as meaningful action from the government, leading to the commencement of a 14-day warning strike by the affected workers on September 2.
The PDP said the strike had disrupted academic activities and placed additional hardship on students, parents, families and workers across the state.
It also criticised the alleged neglect of lecturers, academic and non-academic staff, as well as students in the state’s tertiary institutions, particularly over outstanding entitlements.
The opposition party further questioned the government’s alleged expenditure of hundreds of millions of naira on Hausa praise singers from outside the state, arguing that such resources could have been channelled towards addressing some of the workers’ demands.
The PDP also expressed concern over what it described as the government’s failure to establish new higher institutions and its alleged neglect of existing tertiary institutions established by previous administrations.
The party called on the Gombe State Government to immediately engage JOUGTIN in good faith, provide a credible and time-bound plan for settling verified outstanding entitlements and take measures to prevent the warning strike from becoming indefinite.
The PDP said it stands with the affected workers and students, pledging that if elected in 2027, its administration would prioritise the settlement of legitimate outstanding entitlements and implement sustainable policies aimed at improving workers’ welfare and strengthening the education sector.
The party urged the state government to act swiftly in the interest of education, workers and the people of Gombe State.
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