The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has reported a lack of official response from the Federal Government regarding its ongoing strike, which began Monday over four months of withheld salaries. The strike has effectively brought university operations to a halt nationwide.
SSANU’s National Vice-President, Abdussobur Salaam, stated, “There’s no update on the ongoing strike; it continues. Some informal contacts were made between the minister of state for education and our union executives, but there’s been no real progress, just an informal appeal.”
He emphasized that despite repeated promises from the government, the union has yet to receive payments and is unwilling to accept further delays, noting, “If we don’t receive our payments, we won’t back down.”
The strike follows an expired ultimatum set by NASU and SSANU, which called for immediate payment of the outstanding salaries and the fulfillment of past agreements, including improved remuneration and the implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government.
A statement signed by SSANU National President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi confirmed that the deadline expired at midnight on Sunday.
The unions’ demands include payment of the withheld salaries, disbursement of earned allowances, and the implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the government on August 20, 2022.
Despite a prior 10-day ultimatum issued on July 18, 2024, during a protest at Abuja’s Unity Fountain, no action was taken, leading to the indefinite strike.
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Labour and Employment, had previously enforced a “No Work, No Pay” policy when the university-based unions initiated a prolonged strike in 2022.
