SSANU, NASU Set To Cripple Universities Over Unpaid Four-Month Salaries, Accuse Government Of Insensitivity

The fragile peace in Nigeria’s public universities may be jeopardised once more, as the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU) have called on their members to stage a national protest on July 18, 2024.

The NASU and SSANU Joint Action Committee have already directed each union branch to hold local protests on their respective campuses on July 9th.

Recall that the SSANU and NASU leaderships have been battling the Federal Government to pay their four-month salary arrears since joining an indefinite strike called by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 2022.

While President Bola Ahmed Tinubu directed that the affected employees be paid their salaries, SSANU and NASU members have yet to receive theirs, several months after the directive was issued.

Only recently, both unions threatened to go on strike if nothing was done to address their demands. In an attempt to avoid the strike, the Federal Government invited them to a meeting with the Minister of Education, Prof. Mamman Tahir.

On Sunday, General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, and President of SSANU, Com. Mohammed Ibrahim, issued a joint notice for members to proceed with the protest, stating that “the National body of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU met on Thursday, 4th July 2024 to appraise and take a position on the current situation in respect of the withheld (4) four months’ salaries and other grievances of our members in University and Inter-University Centres.”

“The National JAC, on invitation, met with the Honourable Minister of Education, the Honourable Minister of State for Education, the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Education, and other top officials from the Ministry and the National Universities Commission.

“Unfortunately, the engagement with the Minister of Education yielded no convincing commitment to pay the withheld salaries or resolve other pending grievances of the two unions’ JACs.

“It is also disheartening that the JAC was also at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, and as is customary, the Honourable Minister of State was not present to receive us, as we were informed that she had an urgent call from the villa.”

“The Permanent Secretary who stood in for her was unable to make a commitment on the issues raised.
In light of this disappointment and the government’s failure to address the grievances of NASU and SSANU, JAC has decided to take the following industrial actions.

“All NASU and SSANU branches should hold a general meeting on Monday, July 8, 2024, to raise awareness among members about the government’s insensitivity to our plight.

“A one-day protest should be held simultaneously at each branch on Tuesday, July 9, 2024. Every branch should ensure that all members take part in the protest.

“A national protest will take place in Abuja on Thursday, July 18, 2024, following which the JAC will meet to announce the start date of the strike action. More information will be communicated appropriately.”