By Damola Emmanuel
Just as students and parents are beginning to heave sigh of relief that life has finally returned to university campuses across the land, following the end of the 9-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, the system has suffered another major disruption.
Starting from 12 midnight, today, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, SSANU, and the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, of Educational and Associated Institutions, would start a nationwide industrial action to force the federal government fulfill its obligations to them and address their grievances.
The unions didn’t stop there. They have also ordered their branches to down tool.
“In view of the outcome of the meeting, the leadership of JAC of NASU and SSANU, the branches are hereby directed to commence joint general meetings on Friday (today) to give reports on the outcome of the conciliation meeting and pass resolutions on the way forward,” General Secretary of NASU, Comrade Adeyemi Peters, and SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, wrote in a correspondence to the branches.
“In the meantime, the nationwide strike takes effect from 12 midnight, Friday, February 5, 2021, pending any contrary resolution by the branches”.
Recall that SSANU and NASU had, last Tuesday, January 26, 2021, met with the federal government team, led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, where it decided that a joint committee be set up to look into the issues raised by the workers.
But the Minister had insisted that most of the issues raised by the unions had had either been addressed or were in the process of being addressed.
But the General Secretary of NASU, Comrade Adeyemi Peters, refuted the Minister’s claim, declaring that no agreement was reached.
Peters had also insisted that the unions stuck to its February 5 ultimatum to go on strike unless the relevant organs give contrary directives.
Among others, the unions’ checklist of grievances include: discriminatory disbursement of the N40 billion Earned Allowances, inconsistencies in in the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), non- payment of arrears of national minimum wage, delay in renegotiation of FG/NASU and SSANU 2009 agreement and non-payment of retirement benefits of outgone members.
Others are: the usurpation of headship of non- teaching units by the teaching staff in clear violation of condition of service and establishment procedures, neglect and poor funding of state universities and non-constitution of Visitation panels for universities.