- SSANU has announced plans to begin a university shutdown on July 4 due to the federal government's failure to pay four months of withheld salaries
- The Unions noted that the strike was declared based on the Federal Government's lopsided salary payments
- Following SSANU's NEC meeting, the union criticized the government for preferential treatment and delays in salary payments
Benin, Edo state - The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has moved to begin university shutdown on Thursday, July 4.
This decision is coming on the heels of the federal government's failure to pay four months of withheld salaries.
Why the call for a strike?
About two weeks ago, the Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), issued an ultimatum to the Federal Government demanding the payment of these salaries.
While the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) received their payments during the strike in 2022, the other three university-based unions were left unpaid.
Following SSANU's 48th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Benin last on Saturday, June 30, the union threatened to withdraw its services if the salaries remain unpaid by the end of the ultimatum on July 4.
The JAC, involving SSANU and NASU, will convene on that date to assess the government's response and jointly decide on further actions, as reported by Vanguard.
SSANU, in a communique signed by President Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, criticized the government for what it termed as unprecedented insensitivity and efforts to create discord within universities through preferential treatment of certain unions.
SSANU and other unions were forced by the government to strike in 2022 due to the refusal to honor a Collective Bargaining Agreement that all parties had willingly signed.
After the strike, the then-Buhari administration signed a comprehensive agreement which included a non-victimization clause. However, the government selectively paid withheld salaries.
While SSANU acknowledges the payments made to other unions, they expected equal treatment for SSANU and NASU, who followed all procedures before embarking on the strike, The Nation reported.
Despite promises by Ministers of Education and Labour, as well as the House of Representatives, to pay these arrears, the government has continued to delay, even after SSANU suspended a one-week warning strike in March this year.
The communique partly reads:
“Despite all promises and media hypes by the Ministers of Education and Labour, including the House of Representatives to pay these arrears, Government has continued to dribble SSANU, even after the mutual agreement to suspend the one week warning strike in March this year."
Following deliberations, SSANU's NEC unanimously approved a prolonged industrial action pending the outcome of the Joint Action Committee meeting with NASU scheduled for July 4, 2024, if the government fails to settle the four-month salary arrears.
Unions demand N35, 000 palliative
Regarding the government's approved wage award of N35,000 to mitigate the impact of fuel subsidy removal, which has now been halted, SSANU noted that this insufficient measure exacerbates financial hardships, especially with three months of arrears already pending in Federal Universities.
Additionally, the unions noted that many state governments have yet to pay the wage award to SSANU members in the state.
41-Year-Old Aisha Maikudi becomes VC UniAbuja
In another development, on Monday, July 1, Professor Abdulrasheed Na’Allah, handed over the affairs of the University of Abuja (UniAbuja) to the acting vice chancellor, Professor Aisha Maikudi.
Legit.ng reported Prof. Maikudi, the 41-year-old renowned professor of International law, was appointed following her nomination at the valedictory Senate meeting held on Wednesday, June 26.
.. Source: Legit.ng
