SSANU faults Sokoto varsity VC over warning strike

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Sokoto State University Branch, has accused the Vice-Chancellor, Professor M.B. Yerima, of misrepresenting facts surrounding its ongoing warning strike, insisting that the industrial action followed due process.

The union said it embarked on the five-day warning strike after exhausting several avenues of dialogue with the university management and the Sokoto State Government over its members’ unpaid entitlements.

The Branch Chairman, Isma’il Bala Muhammad, stated this in a press statement issued on Friday in Sokoto in reaction to allegations by the Vice-Chancellor that the union failed to follow established procedures before embarking on the strike.

Muhammad explained that the union had formally presented its demands to the university management, after which the Vice-Chancellor constituted a committee to examine and verify the issues raised.

He said the verified demands were subsequently forwarded to the Sokoto State Government through the Ministry for Higher Education, leading to several meetings between the union and the ministry.

According to him, SSANU also issued a 14-day ultimatum after the engagements failed to produce the desired resolution.

“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.

He maintained that the industrial action was not an arbitrary decision by the union’s leadership, stressing that members unanimously approved it at 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.

The chairman also rejected allegations that the strike was politically motivated or intended to sabotage the university’s administration, describing the claims as baseless and an attempt to distract attention from the welfare issues raised by the union.

He said SSANU had played a significant role in the establishment, growth and development of Sokoto State University, particularly during its formative years, when members contributed to attracting qualified professionals to strengthen the institution.

Muhammad further faulted attempts to undermine the intellectual and professional contributions of SSANU members, noting that the union comprised personnel with diverse academic qualifications, including PhDs, master’s degrees, bachelor’s degrees, Higher National Diplomas and National Diplomas.

He also rejected the description of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) as the mother union in the institution, insisting that both associations were sister unions with distinct responsibilities and interests.

“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 management, the SSANU chairman reaffirmed the union’s commitment to industrial harmony and the overall development of the institution.

He, however, insisted that the university authorities and the state government must address members’ outstanding entitlements, saying workers’ welfare remained critical to the stability and effective administration of the institution.

SSANU members at Sokoto State University commenced a five-day warning strike on November 2, 2026, over unpaid entitlements and other outstanding welfare-related demands.

The industrial action followed engagements between the union, the university management and the Ministry for Higher Education, as well as the issuance of a 14-day ultimatum to the relevant authorities.

The strike has drawn renewed attention to the dispute over workers’ welfare at the state-owned institution, with the union insisting that its demands must be addressed to prevent further escalation.