SSANU and NASU Threaten Strike Over Withheld Salaries Amid Government’s Selective Payment

In the dynamic landscape of Nigerian higher education, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have recently issued a warning about potential disruptions to the industrial peace in universities across the nation.

The cause of this tension is the government’s failure to release the withheld salaries of their members, which stems from a strike action in 2022 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

On Friday, SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi made public a joint letter expressing their dissatisfaction with the government’s decision to settle four months of withheld salaries for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting non-academic staff.

The unions have questioned the government’s rationale behind this selective payment and emphasized the unfair treatment of non-teaching staff.

In their stance, the unions have stated that they would find it challenging to guarantee industrial harmony within universities if the government continues to withhold the salaries owed to their members.

This announcement raises concerns about the potential for widespread industrial action that could disrupt academic activities across Nigerian universities.

Previously, on February 13, 2024, the unions voiced their grievances through protest letters addressed to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman.

The letters detailed their dissatisfaction with excluding non-teaching staff from the payment of outstanding salaries, underscoring a feeling of marginalization within the university system’s workforce.

The pressure on the unions’ members has intensified, and they have done everything possible within their control to maintain industrial peace and tranquility.

However, the various feelers they are getting from members in universities and inter-university centers indicate that they can no longer guarantee and sustain industrial peace in the university sector.

In response, the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU has called on the Federal Government to address the situation positively within the next seven days, as the unions should not be held responsible should the wheel of administration and corporate governance be grounded to a halt in the University sector.

The unions have exercised enough patience and may be forced to meet soon to take all lawful and stringent decisions on the matter.

The government’s selective payment and neglect of non-teaching staff have brought the SSANU and NASU to the brink of a potential strike.

The situation demands immediate attention and a fair resolution to ensure the continued smooth functioning of Nigerian universities and to prevent further disruptions in the educational system.