Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has directed the immediate payment of October, November, and December 2026 salaries for staff of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) under the newly approved Consolidated Academic Tools Allowance (CATA) structure.

Following the clearance of September 2026 salary arrears on Wednesday, November 11, the university’s Vice Chancellor, Professor Francisca Bassey, has appealed to the local branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to honour its earlier pledge and call off its ongoing industrial action.

According to a statement from the UNICROSS Media Team, the directive from Governor Otu, who serves as the Visitor to the institution, represents a major breakthrough in resolving the welfare disputes that have paralysed academic activities on campus.

The impasse began to thaw during an emergency ASUU congress on November 2, which Professor Bassey attended in person. At the meeting, she informed the lecturers that the Governor had approved CATA and that the Office of the Accountant-General of the State had commenced implementation with the October payroll. However, because bank alerts had not yet reflected the adjustments at the time of the meeting, the union opted to sustain the strike until members saw tangible proof of payment.

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When the union reconvened on November 9, members confirmed receipt of their October salaries but raised concerns over several payroll discrepancies. While some staff were reportedly overpaid, others received less than their expected CATA entitlements or experienced delays. The lecturers also pressed for the payment of their outstanding September salaries alongside the implementation of non-financial provisions from the 2025 Federal Government–ASUU agreement, particularly the democratic election of Heads of Departments.

Although university management initially promised to settle the September backlog by the second week of December and reconcile October CATA shortfalls alongside November salaries, authorities fast-tracked the process, clearing the September arrears on November 11.

Addressing the union’s broader demands, Professor Bassey explained that her administration had already begun liquidating a backlog of union check-off dues accumulated over a decade before she assumed office, paying down the inherited debt in instalments. On the issue of electing department heads, she clarified that implementing such non-financial agreements requires amending existing university laws, a legislative process solely within the powers of the Cross River State House of Assembly.

University officials acknowledged the initial glitches in the October payroll rollout, comparing the transitional challenges to the disruptions experienced nationwide when the Federal Government introduced the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) across federal universities. Management assured staff that administrative bottlenecks are currently being smoothed out to resolve the remaining anomalies.

With a National Universities Commission (NUC) accreditation team scheduled to visit the institution later this month, Professor Bassey cautioned that keeping the university shut could threaten future student admissions into affected programmes. She urged the union to keep its November 2 resolution and reopen the campus in the overall interest of students, staff, and the institution’s progress.