Activities at all the Federal Government owned universities were on Monday paralysed as a result of a 7- day warning strike embarked upin by members of the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
The unions called the strike to protest failure of the Federal Government to pay their four months withheld salaries.
While the Federal Government has paid the lecturers their withheld salaries, it has refused to pay non academic staff, thereby forcing the workers to embark on the 7 – day warning strike.
At the Federal University, Lokoja, the strike paralysed all activities, including academic .
Commenting, the branch Chairman of SSANU of the university, Mr Kazeem Adedeji, described the strike as effective.
Adedeji said the union will sustain the strike until demands of its members are met by the Federal Government.
The same situation played out at the University of Ilorin where SSANU and NASU members joined the strike to press hime the demand for the payment of their four months withheld salaries.
The National Financial Secretary SSANU , Akanbi Mohammad Jimoh said the decision to embark on the strike was due to government failure to meet the ultimatum given it to pay the outstanding salaries.
“As it is today, the government is yet to pay the withheld salaries and that is why we have called the congress to inform our members that the strike have commenced today and until Monday morning that is one week warning strike.
“After that period , if nothing is forthcoming, leadership of our Union will have no option than to call another meeting and take decisive action.
“Let us assume that by today or tomorrow we receive the alert of the unpaid salaries, immediately the leadership of our Union at the national level will come together and give a directive that we should call off the strike.
“We are hoping that between now and Friday, government will do the needful.
“Is going to affect all the school activities as you can see now, the examination are going on in our University here with the absence of non teachers, there is no way they can continue their examination and so many other things.
“Without non teaching the University cannot move,” he said.
The Chairman, of SSANU, Unilorin Branch , Falowo Olushola Naheem said : “After all deliberations, consultations and also consolidations by the national executive council of SSANU and NASU under the umbrella body of JAC joint action committee of SSANU and NASU, we were instructed to give the government ultimatum of seven days.
” The seven days expired today because they were put on notice that in case we did not see the alert of our withheld four months salary, we don’t have any other choice than to embark on seven days warning strike.
“And the seven days warning strike start today and counting up till midnight of Sunday.
“We had an agreement with them and that agreement include the payment of four months withheld salary but to our surprise, only ASSU was paid that four month that is what led to the situation you are seeing today.
“The stand of SSANU and NASU now is to go on seven days warning strike and that seven days warning strike started today.
“There are other issues the renegotiation of 2009 agreement is there which is due to be reviewed every three years.
“If you count 2009 up till this time you know how many years we have.
“How many three years that have gone apart from the renegotiation of 2009 agreement, we also have the N50 billion allowance that was appropriated by the last administration but up till now that money has not been released to the University workers.
“We are also demanding for the immediate reconstitution of the governing councils that was dissolved by this current administration.”
The Chairman of ASSU UNILORIN branch , Mr Alex Akamu said : “Our colleagues who have declared seven days strike, the fact remain that they are on a very legitimate agitation.
“ASSU is also saying that we have our solidarity with this members of the non teaching staff who have declared seven days warning strike.
“Our appeal will not go to the members, our appeal will go to the federal government to do the needful and ensure stability in our educational systems.
“Our Universities should not be closed on the ground that people have their entitlement withheld or hold on to by the government.
“Government should do the needful, this is the solidarity we are having even from ASSU.”
NASU Chairman , University of Ilorin chapter, Bello Haruna Ibrahim said : “As you are aware, the directives have reached us from national Secretariat that we are commencing our strike this morning.
“All members of NASU and SSANU are enjoined to go back home and sit down, they should not go to work they should not work.
“Nobody is going to work and that was why all of us here, we direct them that all of them should go back home and stay at home until the government meet our demands.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
