The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at Sokoto State University has challenged Vice-Chancellor Professor M.B. Yerima’s account of the events leading to its five-day warning strike, saying the union had exhausted internal and government-level channels before withdrawing services.
Union disputes vice-chancellor’s account
In a statement released in Sokoto on Friday, branch chairman Ismail Bala Muhammad said Professor Yerima’s description of the dispute was inaccurate and failed to reflect the steps taken by the union to secure payment of outstanding staff benefits.
Muhammad said the industrial action followed repeated unsuccessful efforts to settle disagreements involving unpaid entitlements for SSANU members with both the university administration and the Sokoto State Government.
The statement was issued in response to the vice-chancellor’s assertion that the union had not complied with required procedures before launching the strike.
Steps taken before the work stoppage
The union said it pursued a sequence of formal measures before members approved the warning action:
- SSANU initially presented its demands to the Sokoto State University management.
- The vice-chancellor subsequently set up a committee to review the union’s complaints.
- After the claims were verified, the matters were transmitted to the Sokoto State Government through the Ministry for Higher Education.
- Several meetings were then held in an effort to resolve the outstanding issues.
- When those discussions did not produce an agreement, the union issued a 14-day ultimatum.
Members approve five-day warning strike
Muhammad said the decision to strike was endorsed by union members at a congress, rejecting suggestions that the action had political motives or was intended to weaken the university’s leadership.
SSANU members at Sokoto State University began the five-day warning strike on November 2, 2026. The action centres on unpaid entitlements and other staff welfare demands.
