…Union hails minister’s swift intervention
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has shelved its planned strike following the Federal Government’s release of eight months’ salary arrears to its members.
The development came less than 48 hours after the union issued a 14-day ultimatum to the government over the non-implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU Agreement.
SSANU had, in a communiqué issued at the end of its 56th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, at the weekend, demanded the immediate release of funds and full payment of outstanding Consolidated University Teaching and Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTTA) arrears calculated from January 1, 2026.
The union warned that failure to meet its demand within 14 days would compel it to embark on a “total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action” without further notice.
The ultimatum also covered the payment of two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 industrial action, as well as one-year arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases.
However, in what appears to be a swift response to the union’s threat, the Federal Government released the eight months’ arrears on Tuesday, effectively averting an imminent shutdown of academic activities across Nigerian universities.
Confirming the development, SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, described the release of the funds as proof that constructive engagement, when matched with prompt action, can safeguard industrial harmony and protect workers’ welfare.
He singled out the Minister of Education, Dr. Maruf Tunji Alausa, for praise, saying the minister’s proactive intervention and his commitment to keeping his word facilitated the timely release of the funds.
Ibrahim urged SSANU branches across the country to work closely with the management of their respective universities to ensure the arrears are paid promptly and judiciously, and to report any shortfall to the national body.
Before the ultimatum was issued, the minister was said to have reached out to the SSANU national president to confirm that the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation were processing the funds for release.
SSANU noted that the minister’s early engagement, followed by the actual disbursement of the arrears, marked a refreshing departure from the familiar pattern of delayed implementation of negotiated agreements, and urged the government to sustain the approach in settling all outstanding entitlements of university workers.
Despite the release of the eight months’ arrears, the union insisted that the Federal Government must still pay the two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 strike and the one-year arrears from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases, describing them as legitimate entitlements that should not be delayed further.
The NEC also called on state governments and the governing councils of state-owned universities to ensure full, equitable and properly funded implementation of the agreement, warning that selective or delayed implementation could spark unrest in the university system.
While welcoming the government’s action, SSANU reaffirmed its commitment to constructive engagement and industrial peace, but vowed to deploy all lawful and constitutional means to defend the rights, welfare and professional advancement of its members wherever agreements are not faithfully implemented.
The union said the prompt settlement of the arrears had strengthened confidence that dialogue between government and university-based unions can deliver tangible results for workers, students and the wider Nigerian university system.
Discussion about this post