The federal government has invited leaders of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) to resolve issues behind the recent declaration of an indefinite strike.
Federal universities in Nigeria were shut down, in compliance with the indefinite strike called by the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU until the federal government paid the four months withheld salaries of their members.
However, Mohammed Ibrahim, the national president of SSANU confirmed to journalist on Monday that the minister of state for education reached out to him requesting a meeting.
“Well, I will say unofficial (meeting) because there is no official communication to that effect.
“The minister of state for education reached out via a phone call and noted that the call was on the instance of the incoming minister, requesting for a meeting today in Abuja but because I was unavailable, the meeting couldn’t be held,” he explained.
Following resolutions from their meeting, NASU and SSANU on Sunday night vowed to indefinitely shut down all university activities across the country starting Monday, October 28.
The University of Port Harcourt, the University of Lagos, and the Obafemi Awolowo University, among others were shut down because of the strike order.
Stanley Alaubi told BusinessDay that the non-academic staff were cgased out of office at the University of Port Harcourt on Monday.
At the Obafemi Awolowo University, the branch chairman of SSANU revealed that there was about 55 percent compliance from their members.
Read also: No pay, no work: UNILAG’s non-teaching staff shut down campus
Loveth Nwachukwu, a student at the University of Benin to our reporter that non-academic activities were grounded at the institution on Monday.
At the Ugbowo campus of UNIBEN, the leadership of the unions said a monitoring committee had been constituted to ensure compliance by those affected.
Anthony Igbinosa, the chairman of the UNIBEN branch of NASU frowned at the fact that their members were only promised 50 percent of what they are been owed, hence, he insists the strike germane.
“The President said they should give us 50 percent of what they owe us, which is two months, so, we gladly left and happily told our people that we were expecting two months’ salary and let us start from somewhere.
“However, from the 18th of July until the date is over three months, we are told that it is the Minister of Finance that is sitting on the President’s directive. But if the President is serious, will an appointee be sitting on his directive?” he queried.
Lukman Alayande, a student of the University of Lagos said the strike did not really disturb their academic activities, though the atmosphere was not what it used to be.
“The library was opened yesterday, but I don’t know what will happen today. Generally speaking, it was a partial compliance because some of the staff were not on seat,” he said.
The strike was intensely observed at the Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa State.
Stanley Boroh confirmed that the non-academic staff keenly observed the strike.
The unions are demanding, among others, the payment of the four-month withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances, and implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government.
The federal government had, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, invoked the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy when the four university-based unions embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022.
However, President Tinubu in October 2023 directed payment of four of the eight months withheld salaries for the academic staff. It was finally paid in February.
The directive was silent about the non-teaching staff, raising concerns as to their fate, a development the unions described as selective.
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