MEMBERS of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union have today (Monday), begun a nationwide strike over alleged unfair treatment and disparities in salary payment by the Federal Government.
Last Monday, the unions threatened to shut down dormitories and electricity supplies at universities across the country if the Federal Government did not accept their demands by today, March 18, 2024.
The National President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim, stated that his members, including Vice Chancellors, Registrars, and Bursars, have not received their 2022 arrears.
Ibrahim yesterday had revealed that the two unions planned a nationwide strike.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, indicated that he was ignorant of SSANU/NASU’s planned strike.
However, during the Channels Television’s Morning Show programme, Ibrahim declared that the strike had started.
“Definitely, it (the strike) has already started.
“As of today (Monday), all our workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs have withdrawn their services and nothing moves within the administration of any public university in Nigeria and that will be the case for the next seven days until and unless the needful is done,” he stated.
The SSANU president maintained that no government representative had contacted the non-academic unions, and that while some have done so unofficially, their assurances cannot be relied upon.
He questioned why some government officials would not completely comply with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to settle 2022 arrears.
He noted that after sending a seven-day warning last Monday, the Minister of Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, had not contacted the aggrieved unions.
This, he said, was a shift from the responsiveness of former Labour Minister Chris Ngige.
He emphasized that if the government does not respect the unions’ requests following the seven-day warning strike, which has began today, the unions would return to their toolbox and select their next course of action.
