The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has issued a strong warning to the Federal Government, accusing it of persistent neglect, unfulfilled promises, and disregard for agreements reached with the union.
At its 52nd National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at Alvan Ikoku Federal University of Education, Owerri, SSANU expressed grave concern that government inaction could push the university system into another avoidable industrial crisis. In a communiqué signed by its National President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, the union condemned the government’s failure to renegotiate and implement the 2009 FG/SSANU Agreement, describing the silence of the renegotiation committee as “a betrayal of trust.” It warned that if the government ignored the two-week grace period granted by the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU, it would be left with no option but to take action.
A major grievance raised was the continued non-payment of two months’ withheld salaries of members who participated in the 2022 strike. The union denounced the action as punitive and provocative, urging the government to release the outstanding salaries immediately as a show of good faith. It also lamented the non-remittance of deductions already made from previously paid arrears, calling it a threat to members’ retirement security.
On earned allowances, SSANU faulted the government for allocating only ₦10 billion of the ₦50 billion fund to non-teaching staff, branding the move discriminatory and unjust. It demanded the immediate release of the outstanding ₦40 billion in line with the Memorandum of Understanding.
Beyond university issues, the union highlighted the deteriorating state of the nation. It cited widespread insecurity, collapsing infrastructure, worsening poverty, and the recent cholera outbreak in Zamfara, the Abuja–Kaduna train derailment, frequent kidnappings, and devastating floods in Adamawa, Niger, and Lagos States as glaring failures of governance. It warned that underfunded healthcare, food insecurity, and climate shocks are pushing millions into hunger, while schools remain poorly funded and equipped.
On the economy, SSANU criticised what it called reckless government spending amid soaring inflation and fuel prices that continue to crush households. While acknowledging a slight stabilisation of the naira, it stressed that Nigerians were yet to feel any relief. The NEC further condemned state universities, particularly Rev. Fr. Moses Orshio Adasu University in Benue State, where SSANU members remain on strike over unpaid wages.
The communiqué also pushed for urgent investment in renewable energy to address erratic electricity in universities, called for full autonomy of university governing councils, and demanded stronger research funding. On security, SSANU urged the government to integrate traditional rulers into national and state security councils, describing it as a practical step towards restoring peace.
The union reaffirmed its readiness to partner with the government, noting that its members possess expertise in engineering, ICT, healthcare, finance, and administration. It urged the government to act decisively on health, education, food production, and infrastructure.
“SSANU is not just an advocacy body but a reservoir of professional expertise,” the NEC stated. “Nigerians deserve concrete action, not empty promises.”
