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The University of Maiduguri (UNIMAID) has denied reports circulating on social media alleging that its Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mohammed Laminu Mele, was involved in an altercation with the Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), UNIMAID chapter, over alleged unpaid staff entitlements.
In a statement issued on Friday, September 25, 2026, and signed by the university’s Public Relations Officer, Amina Abdullahi, the institution described the report as false and fabricated.
The disputed social media report had alleged that a confrontation occurred between the Vice-Chancellor and the SSANU chairman during a meeting concerning unpaid Consolidated Non-Teaching Staff Allowance (CONTAA) entitlements. It further claimed that the Vice-Chancellor ordered security personnel to remove the union chairman from a conference room.
UNIMAID categorically rejected those claims, saying no such meeting, altercation or security intervention involving the Vice-Chancellor and SSANU chairman took place.
The university said its management maintains a cordial and open relationship with staff unions, including SSANU, adding that matters involving staff welfare and entitlements are addressed through established administrative channels and dialogue.
Management alleged that the report was intended to create discord and disrupt industrial harmony on the campus. It urged staff, students and members of the public to disregard the claims and warned against circulating unverified information.
The controversy comes amid broader discussions over the implementation of the 2026 Federal Government–SSANU agreement. SSANU has publicly pressed for implementation of the agreement, which includes provisions concerning CONTAA for non-teaching university staff.
However, UNIMAID’s statement specifically disputes the alleged confrontation between its Vice-Chancellor and the local SSANU chairman; it does not, by itself, resolve the wider national issues surrounding implementation of the agreement.
The university reaffirmed its commitment to staff welfare and maintaining a peaceful academic and administrative environment.
