Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have commenced an indefinite nationwide strike within campuses of public universities to demand the immediate release of their four months’ withheld salaries.
In a statement on Sunday co-signed by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, the two unions said it is appalling that despite several ultimatums issued to the government, no positive result has come from the government.
The two unions 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”.
On September 17, 2023, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU handed the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to pay the outstanding withheld salaries of their members or risk an industrial action.
Before now, the two unions had staged several protests and warning strikes to protest their eight months’ withheld salaries by the Federal Government. During the warning strikes,  nothing moved administratively within any public university in Nigeria as hostels and varsity gates were locked up and electricity supply was cut off by disgruntled non-academic staff.
Virtually all schools were closed across Nigeria between March and July 2020. Most schools only fully reopened in January 2021, with social distancing measures in place. Credit: Sodiq Adelakun/Channels Television
The two unions berated the Federal Government for paying withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting the non-academic unions.
All the unions had embarked on an eight-month strike in 2022 to press home some of their demands including a better welfare package. The administration of then President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against the unions but President Bola Tinubu last October approved the release of withheld salaries to ASUU members.
SSANU and NASU accused the Federal Government of unfair treatment and discrimination by failing to pay them the full eight months’ salaries like their academic counterparts.
Then Education Minister Tahir Mamman had in April blamed a “communication problem” for the non-payment of the full amount to SSANU and NASU members, whilst he insisted that they were not discriminated against.