Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union have begun a nationwide strike today (Monday) over alleged unfair treatment and disparity in the payment of salaries by the Federal Government.
Last Monday, the unions threatened to shut down hostels and power supply in universities across the country if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands before today, March 18, 2024.
National President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim, said his members, including Vice Chancellors, registrars, and bursars, have not been paid 2022 arrears.
On Sunday, Ibrahim informed The PUNCH that the two unions were set for their nationwide strike.
Meanwhile, the Minister for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, stated that he was unaware 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of today (Monday), all our workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs have withdrawn their services and nothing moves within the administration of any public university in Nigeria and that will be the case for the next seven days until and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 stressed that no government representative has reached out to the non-academic unions, noting that though some have reached out unofficially, their assurances cannot be taken to the bank.
He wondered why some government officials would not fully comply with President Bola Tinubu’s instruction to pay 2022 arrears.
He added that the Minister of Labour , Nkiruka Onyejeocha, has not reached out to the aggrieved unions despite issuing a seven-day notice last Monday.
This, he said was a departure from the responsiveness of the ex-Labour Minister Chris Ngige.
He stressed that the unions would go back to their toolbox and decide the next line of action should the government fail to heed the unions’ demands after the seven-day warning strike, which commenced today.
The Vice Chancellor of the University of Jos, Plateau State, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, ordered security to break open the gate of the university locked by protesting non-teaching staff members of the university.
Non-teaching university staff, under the aegis of the Senior Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), began a one-week strike on Monday, March 18, over alleged unfair treatment and disparity in the payment of their salaries by the Nigerian Government.
On Monday morning, protesting staff members of the University of Jos locked the school gate with a padlock to ground academic activities in the school.
However, when the vice chancellor arrived at the institution with armed policemen, he did not let the locked gate stop him from gaining entrance.
As the protesting workers chanted solidarity songs, Ishaya’s security broke the gate to gain entrance into the school. The vice-chancellor then got back into his car and drove into campus.
