The Sokoto chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) has urged the state government to pay outstanding allowances of the state varsity workers.

The union also called on the government to reconstitute the state varsity’s governing council.

It made the calls in a statement signed by the branch chairman and secretary, Sa’idu Isah and Abubakar Aliyu, respectively, on Friday in Sokoto.

The union stressed the need for the state government to reconstitute the governing council, given that the institution had been operating without a council in the last nine months.

”Sokoto State University has been operating without a Governing

Council following its dissolution by the state government, an action that violates the Universities Act (Miscellaneous Act 2003) and Sokoto State University Law 2009.

” The governing council plays a pivotal role in decision-making, including staff recruitment, approval of staff promotion, financial matters, students’ admission, and convocation, among others,” the union stated.

The ASUU-SSU also called on the state government to settle the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) owed to its members, which accumulated in the last five academic sessions.

”We urge the state government to hasten the clearance of outstanding union and cooperative deductions as well as check-off dues, which are still domiciled in the state ministry of finance.

”With the enactment of salary increment by the Presidential Committee on Salaries, which approved salary increment for tertiary institutions’ staff, professors are to get 35 per cent rise, while other staff are to enjoy 25 per cent increment effective January 2023.

”We urged Sokoto State government to implement the pay rise alongside implementation of the agreed N35,000 wage award which was implemented by the federal government following the removal of fuel subsidy,” the union pleaded.

The union further called on the state government to complete the university staff quarters project, which had been abandoned for about 11 years. Although students still reside in the hostels, the quarters remained unoccupied and inhabited by reptiles.

”We earnestly hope that the Sokoto state government will address these demands to ensure the university’s efficient operation and well-being of our members,” the union added.

(NAN)