The Sokoto State Government has described the ongoing indefinite strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Sokoto State University (SSU) chapter, as politically motivated.
Speaking at a press briefing held at the Government House in Sokoto, the State Commissioner for Higher Education, Professor Isa Muhammad Maishanu, expressed disappointment over the strike, arguing that the current administration has made significant efforts to address the university’s longstanding challenges.
Prof. Maishanu highlighted that SSU had suffered severe neglect under previous administrations, leaving the institution in a state of disrepair with issues such as lack of electricity, dilapidated lecture halls, and inadequate office spaces. He noted that despite inheriting a struggling university without proper documentation of its assets and liabilities from the previous administration led by Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal, the current government under Governor Ahmed Aliyu has taken proactive measures to revitalize the institution.
Among the government’s interventions, he cited the restoration of cash allocations to SSU and the resumption of payments to visiting lecturers whose salaries had been previously halted. These efforts, he emphasized, demonstrate the administration’s commitment to improving education in the state.
Addressing the concerns raised by SSU ASUU, including the non-implementation of the 25% and 35% salary increase for academic and non-academic staff, non-payment of check-off dues, and the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), Prof. Maishanu insisted that these issues were already being reviewed. He reassured that Governor Aliyu had constituted a committee to assess the grievances and had begun consultations with relevant agencies, including the Federal Ministry of Labor and Employment, to resolve them.
He appealed to the striking lecturers to reconsider their decision and allow room for dialogue, stressing that the state government is committed to addressing their demands in a constructive and fair manner.