SSANU has faulted the Vice-Chancellor, Professor M.B. Yerima, over his account of the union’s ongoing warning strike, maintaining that it complied with all required procedures before commencing the industrial action.
The union said the five-day strike became necessary after repeated discussions with the university management and the Sokoto State Government failed to resolve complaints over unpaid staff entitlements and other welfare-related issues.
In a statement released in Sokoto on Friday, the branch chairman, Isma’il Bala Muhammad, disputed the Vice-Chancellor’s claim that the association failed to observe established procedures before declaring the strike.
Muhammad said SSANU had initially submitted its grievances to the university management, prompting the Vice-Chancellor to set up a committee to investigate and verify the claims.
He explained that the committee’s findings were subsequently submitted to the state government through the Ministry for Higher Education, resulting in a series of meetings between the union and the ministry.
However, after the discussions failed to yield a satisfactory outcome, the association issued a 14-day ultimatum to the relevant authorities.
“The Vice-Chancellor was fully aware of all these engagements and the steps taken by the union to resolve the issues before we decided to embark on the warning strike,” he said.
The chairman insisted that the decision to withdraw services was not taken unilaterally by the union’s leadership, adding that members collectively approved the action during a congress.
“The decision to embark on the strike was unanimously endorsed by members at Congress. We followed the necessary procedures and cannot accept any suggestion that we acted outside established channels,” Muhammad stated.
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He also dismissed suggestions that the strike was driven by political interests or designed to undermine the university administration, describing such allegations as unfounded distractions from the issues affecting workers.
Highlighting the association’s contributions to the institution, Muhammad said SSANU members had been instrumental in the establishment and development of Sokoto State University, particularly in its early years, when they helped attract qualified professionals to the institution.
He equally condemned attempts to question the academic and professional standing of the union’s members, noting that its membership included holders of PhDs, master’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, Higher National Diplomas and National Diplomas.
On the relationship between SSANU and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the chairman rejected the portrayal of the latter as the parent union within the institution.
“ASUU and SSANU are sister unions. No union should be portrayed as superior to another or used to diminish the contributions of other workers to the development of the university,” he added.
Despite the disagreement with the university authorities, Muhammad reiterated SSANU’s willingness to maintain industrial peace and contribute to the institution’s progress.
He, however, urged the management and the Sokoto State Government to settle the outstanding entitlements owed to members, stressing that staff welfare was essential to maintaining stability and ensuring effective university administration.
SSANU members at Sokoto State University began a five-day warning strike on November 2, 2026, to protest unpaid entitlements and other unresolved welfare demands.
The action came after engagements involving the union, university management and the Ministry for Higher Education failed to resolve the dispute, despite the issuance of a 14-day ultimatum.
The disagreement has brought workers’ welfare concerns at the state-owned university into focus, as SSANU maintains that the outstanding issues must be addressed to avert a possible escalation of the dispute.