Key points
- ASUP, Federal Polytechnic Mubi Chapter, has alleged that pension deductions from staff salaries have not been remitted for periods ranging from 18 months to two years and three months.
- The union has embarked on strike and called for a government investigation into outstanding pension and third-party deductions.
- The institution’s Rector, Dr Abdulrahman Ishiaka, dismissed the allegations as baseless and said no funds were missing.
Main story
The Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP), Federal Polytechnic Mubi Chapter, has called on the Federal Government and relevant stakeholders to intervene over alleged non-remittance of pension contributions deducted from workers’ salaries by the institution’s management.
Kadala Bandi, Chairman of the ASUP chapter, made the call on Thursday at a press conference in Mubi Local Government Area of Adamawa, where he said the alleged deductions had remained unremitted to the National Pension Commission (PenCom) for periods ranging from 18 months to two years and three months.
Bandi said the deductions were made from staff salaries in line with the Pension Reform Act, 2014, as amended, but were not subsequently remitted as required.
He said the outstanding deductions covered November and December 2024, January to July 2025, August to December 2025 and July 2026, adding that the issue had contributed to the union’s decision to embark on strike.
According to him, the industrial action followed the failure of previous efforts to resolve the matter internally, prompting the union to seek intervention from the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education (FME) and the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE).
Bandi said the union had exhausted its internal procedures for seeking redress without achieving a tangible resolution, and appealed to the government, labour unions and other stakeholders to intervene.
He also called for an audit and forensic investigation of all unremitted third-party deductions from 2020 to date, as well as the establishment of a clear timeline for full remittance.
The ASUP chairman further urged the FME and NBTE to constitute a visitation panel to investigate the allegations and determine the status of the deductions.
The union’s allegations, however, were rejected by the Rector of the institution, Dr Abdulrahman Ishiaka, who described them as baseless and said no funds were missing.
Ishiaka also accused the union of failing to suspend its strike in accordance with the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on July 24, 2026.
He appealed to the union to allow peace to prevail in the institution, saying this would enable academic activities to resume and continue.
The issues
The dispute centres on the alleged failure to remit pension deductions made from staff salaries and the wider question of how third-party deductions have been managed by the institution.
While ASUP is demanding an investigation and full remittance of the outstanding deductions, the institution’s management has denied any wrongdoing and maintained that no funds were missing.
What’s being said
“We have exhausted all internal procedures of seeking redress on this matter without any tangible result.” — Kadala Bandi, Chairman, ASUP Federal Polytechnic Mubi Chapter
“Therefore, we are appealing to the Federal Government, critical stakeholders in the sector, the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the press to come to our aid.” — Kadala Bandi, Chairman, ASUP Federal Polytechnic Mubi Chapter
“The union has failed to suspend the strike as agreed in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signed on July 24, 2026.” — Dr Abdulrahman Ishiaka, Rector, Federal Polytechnic Mubi
What’s next
ASUP is seeking intervention from the Federal Government, FME, NBTE and organised labour, alongside an audit and forensic investigation of third-party deductions from 2020 to date.
The institution’s management, meanwhile, is urging the union to suspend its industrial action and allow academic activities to continue.
Bottom line
ASUP and the management of Federal Polytechnic Mubi remain divided over alleged unremitted pension deductions. The union is demanding an investigation and repayment of outstanding deductions, while the institution has denied the allegations and called for an end to the strike.
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