The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have announced a nationwide strike starting today (Monday), citing unfair treatment and salary disparities by the Federal Government.
SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, confirmed the strike during an interview on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief programme on Monday. He stated that all workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs have withdrawn their services, which would result in a halt to the administration of any public university in Nigeria for the next seven days until the Federal Government meets their demands.
Ibrahim expressed disappointment that no government representative had contacted the non-academic unions, and though some had reached out unofficially, their assurances could not be relied upon. He also sensed “saboteurs” in his government and questioned why President Bola Tinubu would instruct members of varsity unions to be paid 2022 arrears, but some government officials would not comply.
The SSANU President further revealed that the Labour Minister Nkiruka Onyejeocha had not reached out to the aggrieved unions despite the seven-day notice issued last Monday, a departure from the responsiveness of the ex-Labour Minister Chris Ngige.
Ibrahim said that if the government fails to heed the demands of the unions after the seven-day warning strike, SSANU and NASU would decide the next line of action.
Last Monday, March 11, 2024, SSANU and NASU threatened to shut down hostels and power supply in universities across the country if the Federal Government fails to meet their demands before today, March 18, 2024.
The SSANU President had stated that his members, including Vice Chancellors, registrars, and bursars, had not been paid 2022 arrears. “Shutting down the university is clearly beyond how it will affect the students because it’s everybody; there will be no electricity, there will be no water, there will be no security, there will be no hostels for students, and there will be no administration,” he had stated.
The SSANU leader had berated the Federal Government for paying withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting other unions like SSANU and NASU. The unions had embarked on an eight-month strike in 2022 to press home some of their demands, including a better welfare package. The administration of then President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently invoked a “No Work, No Pay policy” against the unions, but Tinubu last October approved the release of four of the eight months withheld salaries for ASUU members.
Ibrahim had stated that all instruments of communication had failed, and the strike was necessary due to the misplacement of priority, saying that the university is a chain, and “you don’t treat a group differently and others indifferently.”
Source: Channels TV
