Non-academic workers have shut down Nigerian universities in a bitter dispute with the federal government over pay. Kalizibe Joseph, a former SSANU chairman at Federal University, Otuoke, says authorities are ignoring the critical work of these staff members.
In a phone chat with BusinessDay on Tuesday, Kalizibe warned that students and lecturers would suffer most. The entire campus community depends on non-teaching workers who operate round the clock, he explained.
"Our work complements what teachers do," Kalizibe noted. Teaching staff only handle classroom instruction and research, he pointed out.
University clinics have closed. Post offices are shut down too.
Students now lack basic hygiene facilities on campus because non-academic workers aren't there, he said.
Security personnel, nurses, doctors, and lawyers are among those on strike. These professionals deliver essential services even during holidays like Christmas, protecting government property year-round.
The strike began Friday and is total nationwide. But talks happened yesterday, Kalizibe disclosed, though negotiations reached a stalemate.
"Another meeting is scheduled for 3 pm today," he told reporters. Discussions were still ongoing as he spoke.
Campuses from Jos to Maiduguri have ground to a halt. Administrative offices, hostels, academic blocks, and clinics all remain closed.
At the University of Jos, workers marched Monday demanding better welfare packages. They're also angry about delayed contract renegotiations with federal authorities.
Maiduguri has postponed all examinations because of the action. The strike erupted after unions gave government one month to renegotiate the 2009 agreement.
That deadline expired on May 1 without resolution. SSANU and NASU rejected what government offered them.
The federal side proposed a 30 percent salary bump. Both unions are demanding 40 percent instead.
Workers say government bypassed proper collective bargaining procedures. Labour laws require dialogue with unions before making such decisions, they argue.
Mohammed Ibrahim, SSANU president, called the action a complete shutdown with national backing. "It's very effective right now," he told journalists.
Every service has been affected, Ibrahim confirmed. Even facilities labeled "essential" have been ordered to stop work.
He stressed the unions want fairness and respect. A 40 percent increase is the minimum acceptable figure, he insisted.
"Nothing has changed in our position," Ibrahim said firmly. The unions won't budge on their demands.
However, both sides agreed to continue talks. "We will listen to them at meetings, but the strike remains on," Ibrahim emphasized.
Universities remain paralyzed as negotiations drag on. The federal government faces mounting pressure from academic communities nationwide.
