By Nahum Sule, Jalingo
The organized labour in Taraba State, comprising the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC), has announced an indefinite statewide strike commencing Monday, August 11, 2025. The decision stems from unresolved disputes surrounding alleged irregularities in the state’s biometric verification exercise for civil servants.
In a joint statement released on Friday, August 8, 2025, NLC Chairman Peter Jediel and TUC Chairman Comrade Abasu Sule detailed the reasons for the industrial action, following a resolution adopted during a Joint State Administrative Council meeting held on August 6, 2025. The unions accused the state’s Biometric Data Capture Committee of engaging in practices they describe as “illegal and detrimental” to workers’ welfare.
According to the statement, the biometric verification process, intended to streamline payroll and eliminate ghost workers, has been marred by inconsistencies, including alleged manipulation of data and exclusion of legitimate workers from the payroll. The unions claim these irregularities have caused significant financial hardship for affected civil servants, many of whom have not received salaries for months due to discrepancies in the verification process.
The labour leaders further criticized the Taraba State government for its failure to address concerns raised in an earlier ultimatum issued by the unions, which demanded immediate corrective measures and transparency in the biometric exercise. “The government’s inaction and the committee’s unprofessional conduct have left us with no choice but to embark on this indefinite strike to protect the rights and livelihoods of our members,” the statement read.
The strike is expected to disrupt essential public services across Taraba State, including operations in government offices, schools, and hospitals, as civil servants heed the unions’ call. The NLC and TUC have urged their members to comply fully with the strike directive and have called on the state government to engage in urgent dialogue to resolve the crisis.
