ASUU Sokoto State University: Strike Ultimatum Over Unpaid Entitlements

• The ASUU Sokoto State University branch has issued a two-week strike ultimatum to the Sokoto State Government over unpaid member entitlements.
• The ultimatum follows a September 8, 2026 congress meeting and a September 7 agreement with the Ministry for Higher Education.
• Key demands include full implementation of the ASUU/FGN Agreement 2025 salary component, payment of Earned Academic Allowance, and various arrears.
• ASUU expressed reservations due to the government's history of partially implementing or failing to honor previous agreements.
• Failure to address the demands will result in industrial action, disrupting all academic activities at the university.

Failure to comply with these demands will result in an industrial action that promises to disrupt all academic activities at the university.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Sokoto State University (SSU) branch, has delivered a two-week ultimatum to the Sokoto State Government, demanding the settlement of outstanding financial entitlements owed to its members. Failure to comply with these demands will result in an industrial action that promises to disrupt all academic activities at the university.

This decisive action follows a congress meeting held on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, where the union reviewed an earlier resolution from August 24 and assessed the state government's commitment to addressing the non-payment of members' benefits. The union's stance was articulated in a press release co-signed by ASUU-SSU Chairman, Dr. Bello Musa, and Secretary, Comrade Zulkallaini Shehu. This development stems from a September 7 meeting between ASUU and the Ministry for Higher Education, during which an agreement was reached to resolve the union's demands within two weeks. The ministry also pledged to relay these demands to the Visitor and Executive Governor of Sokoto State.

Despite the recent agreement, ASUU has voiced significant reservations, citing a history of the government failing to honor previous commitments made to the union. This skepticism underscores the union's cautious approach to the latest promise, given past experiences with unfulfilled pledges regarding their members' welfare and benefits.

The current dispute is rooted in a series of agreements that have seen only partial implementation. Some of the union's demands were initially captured in an agreement with the government on March 4, 2024. Subsequently, issues pertaining to the ASUU/FGN Agreement 2025, alongside other outstanding matters, were again deliberated and agreed upon through the Ministry for Higher Education on April 28, 2026. While the government did partially implement the salary component of this agreement, it did so only after the stipulated period had elapsed.

ASUU-SSU acknowledged that Sokoto State University was notably the first state university in the North-West region to partially implement this salary component. However, the union emphasized that numerous other critical components of the agreement remain unpaid. These include outstanding Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), the non-remittance of outstanding third-party deductions, accumulated promotion arrears, outstanding arrears from the 25%-35% salary components, and various accumulated annual increment arrears. Despite these significant concerns and the government's track record, the ASUU-SSU congress ultimately resolved to accept the latest two-week timeframe provided by the authorities for action.

The union has clearly outlined five principal demands that must be addressed within the two-week ultimatum period. These include the proper and complete implementation of the salary component of the ASUU/FGN Agreement 2025, the full payment of outstanding Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), the remittance of all outstanding third-party deductions, the payment of arrears stemming from the 25–35 percent salary increment, and the settlement of all accumulated promotion arrears.

ASUU-SSU has issued a stern warning that failure to meet these promises within the stipulated deadline will trigger industrial action, leading to the disruption of all academic activities at the university, including statutory meetings involving its members. The union has also appealed to the citizens of Sokoto State to intercede and urge the government to honor its commitments, thereby fostering a sustainable and harmonious industrial relationship within the university community. The union expressed hope that the government will fulfill its latest promise, averting a fresh wave of academic disruption.

Lawyers advising educational institutions or state governments in Nigeria should monitor this development for precedents in enforcing collective bargaining agreements and managing industrial disputes over employee entitlements. It highlights the potential for significant disruption to public services due to non-compliance with agreed-upon staff benefits.

Source: Original reporting via PUNCH