The Academic Staff Union of Universities(ASUU), Sokoto State University (SSU) branch, has given the Sokoto State Government a two-week deadline to settle outstanding entitlements owed its members or face industrial action.
The union issued the ultimatum after its congress met on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, to review its earlier resolution of August 24 and assess the government’s progress in addressing the outstanding issues.
According to a statement signed by the ASUU-SSU Chairman, Bello Musa, PhD, and Secretary, Comrade Zulkallaini Shehu, the union met with officials of the Ministry for Higher Education on September 7.
The union said the meeting ended with an agreement that its demands would be addressed within two weeks. The ministry also promised to communicate the demands to the Visitor and Executive Governor of Sokoto State.
However, ASUU expressed doubts about the latest commitment, citing previous instances where agreements reached with the government were not fully implemented.
The union said some of its demands were contained in an agreement reached with the government on March 4, 2024. Other issues, including matters arising from the ASUU/FGN Agreement 2025, were subsequently discussed in another agreement facilitated by the Ministry for Higher Education on April 28, 2026.
ASUU acknowledged that the government had partially implemented the salary component of the agreement after the agreed deadline expired.
The union noted that Sokoto State University had become the first state university in the North-West to partially implement the salary component, but said several other obligations remained outstanding.
These include payment of outstanding Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), remittance of outstanding third-party deductions, payment of promotion arrears, arrears arising from the 25–35 per cent salary adjustments, and accumulated annual increment arrears.
Despite its reservations, the congress resolved to accept the government’s latest offer and give the authorities two weeks to fulfil their commitments.
ASUU-SSU warned that failure to resolve the issues within the stipulated period would trigger industrial action that could disrupt academic activities at the university.
“Failure to address the union’s demands as promised after the expiration of the two-week deadline, the union resolved to embark on an action that will disrupt all academic activities in the university including statutory meetings where our members are involved,” the union warned.
Five demands
The union said the government must address five major demands within the two-week period:
- Full implementation of the salary component of the ASUU/FGN Agreement 2025.
- Payment of outstanding Earned Academic Allowance.
- Remittance of outstanding third-party deductions.
- Payment of arrears arising from the 25–35 per cent salary increment.
- Settlement of accumulated promotion arrears.
ASUU-SSU also appealed to residents of Sokoto State to urge the government to honour its commitments and preserve a stable and harmonious relationship between the authorities and university staff.
The union said it remained hopeful that the government would fulfil its latest promise and prevent another disruption to academic activities at Sokoto State University.
