SSANU Gives Sokoto Five-Day Ultimatum: Avert University Shutdown

• The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at Sokoto State University has begun a five-day warning strike over unresolved staff entitlements.
• The union threatens an indefinite strike if the Sokoto State Government does not meet its demands by the end of the warning period.
• Key demands include arrears from a 25% salary increment, implementation of a 35% Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA), annual salary increments, and outstanding check-off dues.
• The government previously stated it would not pay the 25% arrears and would only implement CONTTA in January 2027, subject to budget availability.
• SSANU has appealed to Governor Ahmed Aliyu and other stakeholders to intervene and prevent an indefinite shutdown of university services.

The union has issued a clear warning: should its demands not be met by the government before the conclusion of this initial five-day period, it will escalate to an indefinite strike, leading to a complete shutdown of university services.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), specifically its Sokoto State University chapter, has initiated a five-working-day warning strike, effectively halting operations at the institution. This industrial action, which began on Monday, November 2, stems from persistent disagreements over various staff entitlements that remain unresolved by the Sokoto State Government. The union has issued a clear warning: should its demands not be met by the government before the conclusion of this initial five-day period, it will escalate to an indefinite strike, leading to a complete shutdown of university services.

This current strike follows the expiration of a prior 14-working-day ultimatum, which SSANU had presented to the state government on October 14. According to a statement released by SSANU SSU Chairman Ismail Muhammed and Secretary Mansur Ahmad, the decision to embark on industrial action was made after numerous attempts to resolve the ongoing dispute through dialogue and direct engagements with government officials proved fruitless. The union emphasized that despite these repeated consultations and appeals to relevant authorities, no tangible steps were taken to address the legitimate concerns of its members.

At the heart of the dispute are several key financial demands put forth by SSANU. These include the immediate payment of arrears resulting from a 25 percent salary increment, the official approval and subsequent implementation of a 35 percent Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA), the provision of annual salary increments for all eligible members, and the release of outstanding check-off dues owed to the union. The association has consistently engaged with high-ranking government officials, including the Commissioner for Higher Education, the Permanent Secretary of the ministry, and the Deputy Governor, in efforts to find an amicable resolution to these issues.

In response to these engagements, the state government established a committee tasked with liaising with university-based unions from both Sokoto State University and Shehu Shagari University of Education. However, a meeting held on October 9 revealed a significant divergence in positions. During this discussion, the government indicated that the arrears from the 25 percent salary increment would not be disbursed, and the implementation of CONTTA would only commence in January 2027, contingent upon budgetary allocations. SSANU promptly rejected this stance, asserting that it failed to adequately address the critical concerns of its membership. Despite subsequently resubmitting their demands as requested by the Permanent Secretary, the union noted that the government failed to take any concrete action before the expiration of their initial ultimatum.

SSANU maintains that the 35 percent CONTTA is a rightful entitlement for its members, drawing parallels to similar allowances that have already been approved for academic staff under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other categories of workers within state-owned tertiary institutions. This precedent underscores the union's conviction regarding the legitimacy of its demands. To avert a prolonged crisis, the association has made a direct appeal to Governor Ahmed Aliyu, urging his personal intervention to approve the outstanding demands and prevent the dispute from escalating further.

Beyond the direct appeal to the Governor, SSANU has also called upon a broader spectrum of stakeholders, including traditional institutions, parents, and students, to intercede and facilitate a peaceful resolution to the impasse. The union's final warning is unequivocal: if the Sokoto State Government fails to meet its demands by the conclusion of the five-working-day warning strike, SSANU will be left with no alternative but to initiate a total and indefinite cessation of all services across the university campus. This would inevitably lead to a significant disruption of academic and administrative activities.

Source: Original reporting via PUNCH