SOKOTO - The academic calendar in Sokoto State faces a potential shutdown as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) issues a stern warning of impending industrial action. The union is calling for immediate government intervention to address worsening welfare conditions at state-owned tertiary institutions before academic activities are fully disrupted.
Lingering Neglect and Strained Harmony
In a joint statement released on Wednesday, ASUU branches at Sokoto State University (SSU) and Shehu Shagari University of Education (SSUE) expressed deep frustration over what they described as "prolonged neglect". The chairpersons, Dr. Bello Musa (SSU) and Dr. Shamsu Kabiru (SSUE), emphasized that repeated appeals to state authorities have yielded no results, pushing their members to a breaking point.
The union noted that the failure to resolve these welfare issues is already straining industrial harmony, which could soon halt teaching and research activities across both campuses. "Addressing these issues will sustain the harmonious working relationship and enhance productivity," the statement read, highlighting that the union has provided several reminders that have gone unheeded.
Core Demands: Salary Agreements and Backlog Payments
ASUU has outlined a specific list of demands that the Sokoto State Government must meet to avert a strike:
• Implementation of FG-ASUU Agreement: The union is demanding the immediate application of the 2025 Federal Government-ASUU agreement, which includes the payment of peculiar allowances for teaching and research.
• State Parity: ASUU pointed out that implementation has already begun in federal universities and insists that Sokoto State must follow suit to prevent lecturers in state institutions from being sidelined.
• Earned Academic Allowances (EAA): There is a significant backlog of unpaid EAA owed to lecturers for the 2022/2023 and 2023/2024 academic sessions.
• Centralized Salary Structure: The union stressed that salary structures are centrally negotiated in Nigeria, meaning state-owned institutions should not be excluded from national welfare standards.
The Risk of Disruption
The rising tension underscores a systemic funding crisis within Sokoto’s higher education sector. ASUU warned that continued inaction will deepen the discontent among staff, making a disruption of the academic calendar almost inevitable. As academic unions intensify their calls for fair compensation and the full implementation of existing agreements, students and parents are left waiting to see if the state government will act in time to keep the lecture halls open.
