The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Sokoto State University, Prof. Bello Yarima, has stated that the Sokoto State Governor, Ahmad Aliyu, has approved the payment of lecturers’ outstanding salaries just a week before they commenced strike.

Bello disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday in Sokoto.

He said payment had already commenced to deserving persons while stressing the importance of understanding and tolerance from the union.

He highlighted that a committee was constituted by the visitor, Aliyu, had investigated the issue and forwarded the agreement on the cumulated demands to the government before the strike commenced.

”Surprisingly, it was on the day the committee submitted its findings, the lecturers embarked on strike. The accumulated payments ranging from four years and below were incurred before Governor Aliyu took over,” Yarima said.

He explained that avenues of contacts, appeals and solicitations were exploited by the management and university governing council before the industrial action but to no avail.

”However, we are happy that the strike has been called off within seven days and normal academic activities have resumed, although administrative duties were not altered little alignment was ensured in the students’ time-table.

”We must commend the visitor for approving outright payment of all outstanding arrears, in view of the fact that the backlogs were incurred before he took over.

”Visitors are so magnanimous to accommodate all the demands, and urge the workers to reciprocate the gesture through more commitment and dedication to their duty, ‘ Yarima said.

According to him, a constructed female hostel is scheduled for handing over from the contractor to argue the existing students’ accommodation challenges.

He added that rehabilitation of lecture halls, theatre, staff quarters and other structures in the institution were ongoing.

The acting V-C revealed that the state government had provided additional private security outfit to complement the existing school security towards a more secured environment.

Yarima further disclosed that all the 22 undergraduate and post graduate courses in the university were fully accredited by the National Universities’ Commission (NUC).

”We presented an additional six postgraduate courses for resource verification, waiting for approval. These courses comprised a PhD. in Economics, Msc. Economics, PhD. Environmental Sciences and Waste Management, PhD. Microbiological Science, Msc. Biological Science and Applied Biology,” he said.

NAN recalls that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, SSU branch in February embarked on an industrial action to press home their demands.

These demands include; non-implementation of 25 and 35 per cent salary increment and its consequential adjustment and payment of arrears of the 25 and 35 per cent salary increment from Jan. 2024 to date.

Others are; payment of outstanding Earned Academic Allowance for seven academic sessions and payment of outstanding promotion arrears for three academic sessions among others.

(NAN)