SSANU warns against selective implementation of 2026 agreement, threatens action
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA — THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has issued a stern warning against delays, selective implementation and marginalisation in the rollout of the 2026 FGN/SSANU Agreement, declaring that the union “will not accept unnecessary delays, selective implementation, marginalisation or any attempt to diminish the financial and non-financial provisions of the Agreement.”
Delivering the State of the Union Address at the 56th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, National President Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim said implementation had “commenced in some universities” but remained incomplete in others due to “funding and administrative challenges.”
Insisting that the 2026 pact and NEC resolutions must yield measurable benefits, Ibrahim said: “Agreements and NEC resolutions must translate into concrete action and measurable benefits for our members.”
He directed branches and zones to “continue to monitor implementation, maintain accurate and verifiable membership records, document cases of non-compliance or victimisation, and provide timely reports to the National Secretariat.”
While affirming SSANU’s commitment to dialogue, the president cautioned: “Our commitment to dialogue and constructive engagement should not be mistaken for weakness.
“Where implementation is deliberately frustrated or the decisions of NEC are ignored, the Union reserves the right to take all lawful and constitutional steps necessary to defend the interests of its members.”
On welfare, Ibrahim stressed that the 2026 Agreement “took effect from 1st January 2026, although it was formally signed on 29th June 2026,” and that “financial obligations arising from the effective date remain outstanding and must be fully addressed.”
“We therefore call on the Federal Government to release the necessary funds to all affected universities and Inter-University Centres to enable full implementation of the Agreement and the payment of all accrued arrears from 1st January 2026,” he said, adding: “Implementation cannot be considered complete while legitimate arrears due to our members remain unpaid.”
Beyond salaries, he listed earned allowances, promotions, pensions, career progression, staff development and fair conditions of service as continuing priorities.
Addressing state-owned institutions, the address noted that implementation “remains uneven and requires urgent attention,” citing “recent developments in Ondo, Delta and Kaduna States” with differing progress on salary structures, allowances and broader benefits.
“We therefore call on State Governments and university authorities to honour the Agreement in full and provide the necessary funding for implementation,” Ibrahim said, warning that “selective or delayed implementation only creates avoidable tension and undermines industrial harmony.”
He added: “Our members must not be treated as lesser partners in the university system.”
On protection of members, the president declared: “SSANU remains firmly committed to protecting members from any form of victimisation arising from lawful Union activities. Denial of negotiated benefits, punitive postings, delayed promotions, harassment or discriminatory treatment will not be tolerated.”
He instructed branches to “document and report such cases through the appropriate Union channels,” and stated: “Where the rights of any member are violated, the Union will not hesitate to deploy all lawful and constitutional means available to defend such members and hold those responsible to account.”
On accreditation, Ibrahim cautioned against allowing virtual processes to replace physical inspection: “Accreditation is fundamentally a quality assurance exercise and cannot be reduced to the review of uploaded documents, photographs, videos and online presentations.”
He argued that assessors must physically verify “laboratories, workshops, libraries, equipment, staffing, teaching facilities and the actual conditions under which students learn,” warning that “excessive reliance on virtual accreditation could permit selective presentation of facilities, limit spontaneous inspection, weaken independent interaction with students and workers, disadvantage institutions with poor connectivity and ultimately undermine confidence in the quality of accredited programmes.”
His position: “Digital technology should therefore strengthen continuous monitoring and support accreditation, but it should not become a substitute for rigorous physical verification where the quality of academic programmes and the credibility of Nigerian university degrees are at stake.”
“We negotiated together. We achieved together. We must now consolidate together,” he added.
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