The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) on Monday commenced a nationwide strike, effectively disrupting administrative functions across public universities in Nigeria.
SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, on Channels Television, on Monday, confirmed the start of the strike, asserting, “It has already started. As of today, all our workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, students’ affairs have withdrawn their services.”
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He stressed that the strike will continue for the next seven days unless the government addresses their grievances raised by the unions.
Expressing dismay at the lack of official engagement from the government, Ibrahim raised concerns about possible sabotage within the government, questioning the inconsistency in salary payments despite directives from President Bola Tinubu.
The unions had issued a seven-day ultimatum last Monday where they urged the government to rectify the disparities in the payments among universities’ unions, vowing to compel SSANU and NASU’s members to embark on strike action if it failed to meet their demands within the specified timeframe.
Furthermore, Ibrahim lamented the non-payment of 2022 arrears to members, including Vice Chancellors, registrars, and bursars and further cautioned that the strike would extend beyond inconveniencing students to affecting critical services such as electricity, water, security, and hostel accommodations.
The discontent among SSANU and NASU stems from the perceived preferential treatment given to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Despite an eight-month strike in 2022 and subsequent directives from former President Muhammadu Buhari, ASUU received partial salary payments, while SSANU and NASU were overlooked.
Ibrahim criticized the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) office for its dismissive attitude towards SSANU and NASU, despite presidential waivers issued in their favor.
He emphasized the need for equitable treatment within the university system while condemning the government’s apparent neglect.