SSANU slams FG over salary starvation amid Ramadan, vows shutdown if talks stall

2026-03-05 - 18:18

By Johnbosco Agbakwuru ABUJA —THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has unleashed scathing criticism against the Federal Government, accusing it of plunging university workers into abject hardship through the delay in February 2026 salary payments. Thousands of non-teaching staff in federal universities are now gasping for financial air, their families battered by unpaid bills just as many observe the sacred Ramadan or Lenten fasts. In a statement in Abuja on Thursday, the SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim said: “This undue delay is not just an administrative glitch—it’s a deliberate erosion of morale, productivity, and trust in the system.” SSANU warned that the chaos stems from the government’s flip-flopping between GIFMIS and REMITA platforms, branding it a “glaring inconsistency in policy direction.” It demanded an immediate switch to the “seamless and reliable” REMITA for all university salaries, urging the Accountant General of the Federation’s GIFMIS office to act now or face the consequences. SSANU also blasted the snail-paced renegotiation with the Federal Government, led by Malam Yayale Ahmed, despite acknowledging his efforts. It frowned at the alleged recent claims by the Minister of Education that “industrial harmony” reigns supreme, calling it a “misleading fantasy” that insults ongoing struggles. According to the statement: “The Minister’s silence is no longer golden—it reeks of betrayal and zero camaraderie,” demanding urgent leadership to seal a “credible and conclusive” deal. SSANU issued an ultimatum to the government to pay the outstanding February salaries immediately, especially amid holy fasts, fast-track renegotiations with SSANU and NASU to a proper end. The demands include: “Ensure the immediate payment of the outstanding February 2026 salaries of federal university staff especially that most of our members are either observing the Ramadan fast or the lenting fast. “Accelerate the ongoing renegotiation process with non teaching university unions to bring it to a credible and conclusive end. Provide clear and accurate information to the Nigerian public regarding the true status of negotiations.” It threatened that: “Anything short of the above will clearly invite our unions to seek redress in every legal means possible, including but not limited to withdrawal of our services and picketing of government offices concerned. “SSANU remains committed to constructive engagement with the Federal Government in the interest of sustaining industrial harmony and protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s university system,” it concluded.