The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Sokoto State University (SSU) branch, has urged the state government to address some crucial issues concerning their welfare.
In a statement on Sunday jointly signed by Mr Ismail Muhammad, the branch Chairman, and Mr Mansur Ahmed, the Secretary, the association stressed the urgent need for enhanced staff welfare policies at the university.
It highlighted critical issues affecting staff welfare and union matters at the institution.
“We urge the state government, university’s management and the relevant stakeholders to prioritise the improvement of staff welfare policies and initiatives,” it said.
The union also drew attention to distorted union dues deductions, which significantly impacted on its daily operations and its members.
The statement said, ‘“Deductions are made from our salaries for union dues but there have been challenges regarding these deductions.
“During the previous administration, deductions were withheld for seven months by the Ministry of Finance, in spite of numerous dialogues with the ministry’s personnel and the NLC proving futile.
“The same issue persists in the present administration, with our union remittance being paid in half for the past five months.
“We demand transparency and accountability in the management and remittance of our union dues, ensuring that all deductions are accurately accounted for and utilised for the benefit of our members.”
The association further urged the state government to fulfill its commitment regarding the payment of earned allowances to eligible staff members.
It also asked for the allocation of adequate resources and support for staff training programmes to promote excellence in teaching, research, and administrative functions.
Additionally, it appealed to the state government to emulate the Federal Government’s implementation of the N35,000 wage award and the 25 per cent salary increment for all tertiary institutions in the country.
It also appealed for the implementation of palliative measures to ease the current situation for its members.