Universities across the country, especially those owned by the federal government, were on Monday shut down by non-academic staff under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions, NASU.
The step followed the decision of the national leaders of the two unions that their members should start an indefinite industrial action as a result of the failure of the government to pay them four months of their salaries that were withheld following the 2022 strike by university workers.
Situation in UNILAG
The Branch Chairman of SSANU, the University of Lagos, UNILAG, Comrade Olugbenga Adenaiya, told Vanguard that the development was in line with the directive from their national leaders.
“This morning, we held a congress where our members decided to follow the directive of the national leadership. It was unanimously agreed that the strike would be total and indefinite. We cannot be treated like slaves in our country. Remember that we went on strike early this year and it was suspended because the government promised to pay us the withheld salaries, but that has not been the case.
“It is just a matter of continuing the strike we suspended the other time. All offices and essential services provided by SSANU and NASU members have been put on hold until further notice,” he said.
The development came on the day the university was supposed to start academic activities for the 2024/2025 academic session.
Probably in anticipation of this, the management of the university had earlier said lectures would run online for some weeks.
Activities in limbo at FUTA
Speaking in a telephone chat with Vanguard, the Chairman of SSANU, Federal University of Technology, Akure, FUTA, Ondo State, Comrade Felix Adubi, also said the non-teaching staff in the institution have heeded the call to go on strike.
“We held our congress this morning and it was resolved that we go on strike as directed by our national body. The government cannot say we have not tried enough. We went on strike, just like the teaching staff also did and you have paid some of the withheld salaries of academic staff and what about us?
“The saying is that what is sauce for the goose is also sauce for the gander. We won’t budge until our demands are met. The government is yet to address some issues raised in our earlier interactions with them, then this discriminatory stance of petting some people and treating others as inconsequential. We are not going to take it easy with them,” he said.
UniAbuja SSANU, NASU in crucial meeting
Members of SSANU and NASU at the University of Abuja were on duty and going about their normal activities on Monday despite the nationwide strike declared by the unions’ national bodies.
Recall that the two bodies on Sunday called on members to begin an indefinite nationwide strike within campuses of public universities to demand the immediate release of their four months’ withheld salaries.
In a statement co-signed by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, the two unions said it was appalling that despite several ultimatums issued to the government, no positive result has come in.
To this end, they directed their members in all public universities and inter-university centres throughout the country to “hold a joint congress in their respective campuses on Monday, October 28, 2024, and proceed on an indefinite, comprehensive and total strike action as no concession should be given in any guise”.
But members of the unions were at work on Monday even as the executive members were seen holding congress, considered to be in adherence to the directive of the national bodies of the unions.
It was learnt that the chapters would direct members to proceed on indefinite strike by the directives of national bodies later.
As of the time of filing this report, no strike directives had been issued as members were at their duty posts.
Contacted to comment on the development, the university’s Director of Public Relations, Dr. Habib Yakoob, confirmed that the strike had not been declared in the university by the two bodies.
He said: ”Well, as I speak with you now, I am in my office and some people are here.
“But you know today is when the University of Abuja branch of SSANU is going to have a congress to formally declare the strike. Now, whether they have eventually declared the strike in line with the directive of the national body or not is not what I can probably share with you because they are still having the meeting. But at the moment, staff are in their various offices working. I’m here with my staff but that is not out of place since they have not formally declared the strike. They are still having a meeting here.”
Recall also that on September 17, 2023, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU handed the government a three-week ultimatum to pay the outstanding withheld salaries of their members or risk an industrial action.
Prior to that both unions had staged several protests and warning strikes to protest their withheld salaries by the government.
Recall that in 2022, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, SSANU, NASU and the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, went on strike.
ASUU for eight months, SSANU, NASU and NAAT for about five and a half months. However, during the tenure of the immediate past Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, academic staff were paid four months of the withheld salaries, with the promise to also pay others.
Mamman had then said that the government would only pay half of the salaries, but nothing has been paid to non-teaching staff up until now, despite presidential directive.
Vanguard