ASUU branch at Jigawa university issues salary ultimatum to authorities
The branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) at Sule Lamido University in Kafin-Hausa has issued the Jigawa State government a two-week ultimatum to implement a new salary structure. If the demands are not met, the union said a full-scale strike is possible.
As Premium Times Nigeria reports, the ultimatum took effect on September 1, 2026, and is due to end in the middle of the month. The September 1 statement was signed by Idris Chiromawa, chairman of the university's ASUU branch.
Union demands
ASUU said employees have been receiving lower pay for about seven months following the approval of a new salary package. According to the union, several other state-owned universities in Nigeria have already implemented the relevant agreement, while Jigawa authorities are delaying its implementation.
The union claims it sent three official letters to Higher Education Commissioner Yusuf Chamo and State House of Assembly Speaker Haruna Aliyu, and also involved respected community leaders in the dialogue. At the same time, it said the appeals remained unanswered.
Among ASUU's demands are the immediate implementation of the agreement between the union and the federal government, as well as full payment of arrears from January 2026. The branch also demands that the university be removed from the state's Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPMS), which it described as ineffective and incompatible with the specific nature of university work.
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Other demands include the transfer of all unremitted third-party deductions from salaries, payment of academic allowances for 2024/2025, settlement of certain duty-related payments, annual increments withheld since 2023, and promotion arrears for employees, including professors, dating from 2024.
State government's position
Commissioner Yusuf Chamo told journalists that the ultimatum resulted from communication problems between the government and the union. According to him, virtually all of ASUU's demands have already been approved and are awaiting implementation.
Chamo also said the state only last week received a letter from the National Universities Commission concerning the implementation of agreements with ASUU. According to him, the document was immediately forwarded to university managements so that financial needs could be taken into account in the next budget.
According to the official, state authorities convened an emergency meeting involving the attorney general, the accountant general, the higher education commissioner, and union representatives. Chamo expressed confidence that the parties would be able to settle the dispute after discussing current progress and budget plans.
