Why Federal Govt Released SSANU Members’ Salaries

The federal government has released eight months’ salary arrears owed to members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), less than 48 hours after the union issued a 14-day ultimatum over the implementation of the 2026 FGN/SSANU agreement.

The payment came after SSANU demanded immediate action on outstanding salary-related obligations and warned that failure to meet its demands within 14 days would lead to a “total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action” without further notice.

LEADERSHIP reported that SSANU had issued the ultimatum after its 56th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, where it demanded the release of funds and payment of outstanding Consolidated University Non-Academic Salary Structure (CONTISS) arrears calculated from 1 January 2026.

The union also demanded payment of two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 industrial action and one-year arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases.

Less than 48 hours after the ultimatum was made public, the federal government released the eight months’ arrears.

Confirming the payment, SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, commended the federal government and the Minister of Education, Dr Maruf Tunji Alausa, for the intervention.

According to the union, Alausa had contacted Ibrahim before the ultimatum was issued to confirm that the Ministry of Finance and the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation were processing the funds for release.

“At this juncture, I must inform you, comrades, that just before this press briefing, I received a call from the minister of education, Dr Tunde Aliusa, intimating me of the current progress being made on the release of the money.

He just confirmed to me that the director of funds in the federal ministry of finance and the accountant general’s office has confirmed that on or before next week, these monies will be released. We hope this will be done, and if it is, it will arrest the situation. Outside that, our ultimatum stays”, Ibrahim told SSANU members last week.

The release of the eight months’ arrears addresses one of the financial issues raised by SSANU in its NEC communiqué, although the union said other outstanding obligations remain unpaid.

Mohammed described the development as evidence that constructive engagement, when accompanied by prompt action, can support industrial harmony and workers’ welfare.

He particularly commended Alausa for his intervention and for keeping to his promise to facilitate the release of the funds.

Ibrahim said, “Constructive engagement, when matched with prompt action, can protect industrial harmony and workers’ welfare.

Constructive engagement between government and university-based unions could deliver tangible results for workers, students and the wider Nigerian University System.”

The SSANU president directed members across various branches to liaise with their university management to ensure the prompt and judicious payment of the released funds and to report any shortfall to the national leadership.

Despite the payment, the union maintained its demand for the settlement of the two months’ salaries withheld during the 2022 strike and the one-year arrears arising from the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increases.

SSANU described the outstanding payments as legitimate entitlements and called on the federal government to settle them without further delay.