Academic activities in University of Abuja were temporarily affected on Monday as the protesting Joint Action Committee (JAC), comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) blocked all entrances to the university gates.

The protesting workers prevented both academic and non academic staff from driving in through the university main gates which was under lock and key.

Speaking to journalists, the University of Abuja branch chairman of SSANU, Comrade Nureden Yusuf said that the protest by JAC was to draw the attention of the federal government over the injustice done on SSANU and NASU in the payment of the four months withheld salaries which President Bola Tinubu approved in October last year.

He said, “We are on strike basically to draw the attention of government to the state of our universities. You may recall that one of the contentious issues why we went on strike in 2022 was the issue of the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

“That agreement ought to have been renegotiated every three years and now we are 2024. Fourteen years after the last agreement, it is yet to be renegotiated.

“Also, we are talking about withheld salaries. Mr. President in October 2023 gracefully agreed that our withheld salaries during the period of strike in 2022 should be paid to us. Our counterparts in ASUU have been paid their four months salaries, we are yet to receive our salaries.

“NASU and SSANU are unions of professionals. We oil the wheel of the university system. If we’re not in university, there can’t be any University. Apart from teaching, any other activity that is done in the university is done by SSANU and NASU members. We provide health services to university

“We are shutting down universities for seven days, none of our members is going to render any services. There won’t be people to man the security unit, there won’t be people in the university health services, there won’t be water, there won’t be electricity, there will also not going to be processing of transcripts or certificates. The transport unit will also be shut down,” he said.

Also speaking, the Chairperson of NASU, University of Abuja, branch, Comrade Sadiya Hassan said that it was the government that forced the two unions to embark on the warning strike.

She also frowned at people calling the union members supporting staff, saying that they are professionals in different fields that chose to be in the non teaching sector.

Hassan said that apart from the withheld salaries the two unions have other demands like the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.

Besides, she said, “We want the reconstitution of our governing councils because that has affected our members promotion and other issues pending since they were dissolved. Nothing is going on in the university as it ought to be. So we want the governing councils to come back so that things can move in the universities.

“And as we are being referred to as supporting staff, we are not supporting staff, we chose to be in the offices not in the classrooms, and that is why we are professionals in our field and we should be treated as one not as second fiddle in the system.

“So, we want the federal government to do the needful. We don’t want to go on strike, but we are being forced to do what we are doing today. So they should give us what is our rights and we will go back to our offices and render our services as we are used to do,” she explained.

Ondo

Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities SSANU and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, in Ondo state, have joined their counterparts nationwide on the warning strike.

The strike was to protest Federal Government failure to pay its members four months withheld salaries during their strike in 2022.

It was gathered that the two unions commenced the strike across the institutions as directed by their national leaders.

A visit to the Federal University of Technology, Akure, (FUTA), showed that the main gates of the institution were locked as early as 8am.

Union leaders in the institution, manned the gates and turned back their members from their offices.

The SSANU chairman, Adekunle Ajasin University, Akungba Akoko, Ondo state, Comrade Tayo Ogungbeni told vanguard that the strike in the institution was total as directed by the national leadership of the union.

Also, chairman SSANU in FUTA, Felix Adunbi, also confirmed that the strike was total. Adunbi declared that ” We’ve grounded all administrative and technical services. Reports had it that the University Primary School was shut following the strike.

His counterpart at the Olusegun Agagu University of Science and Technology, Okitipupa, Dayo Damola, said that ” We are on strike because it is an injury to all of us.

Damola warned that any member found defaulting or sabotaging the seven day warning strike, would be dealt with.

Findings by vanguard showed that all the administrative offices and essentials service sections of the universities were shut down.

Vanguard learnt that members of the institutions have been directed to go home and stay away from work until the end of the 7-day warning strike.

In an interview, students of the FUTA, pleaded with the government to invite the union leaders and resolve their differences.

Taraba

Federal University Wukari Joins SSANU, NASU Strike

Also, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, of Federal University, Wukari, have joined the nationwide strike of their respective unions.

Speaking via telephone, an academic staff of the institution, who doesn’t want his name on print confirmed the development.

He noted that activities in the institution were almost paralysed today by the unions. He also said the exit gate of the institution was shut down.

Vanguard however gathered that the strike action did not affect the ongoing examinations of the students.

Unijos

Strike: SSANU, NASU down tools in UniJos

Similarly, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU of the University of Jos, have joined their counterparts nationwide to paralyze activities at the University.

The action is in obedience to the seven-day warning strike embarked upon by members of the two Unions as directed by their national leadership.

As early as 7 am, the unionists assembled at the gates of the different campuses of the University, barricaded the entrances singing solidarity songs and leaving staff and students who came for work and lectures stranded.

It will be recalled that the development is to among other things, demand the payment of four months of withheld salaries of their members by the Federal Government after the 2022 nationwide strike.

However, SSANU through its UniJos Chapter Chairman, Anthony Joro and his NASU counterpart, Monday Danjuma in a jointly signed letter addressed to the Vice Chancellor of the University, Professor Tanko Ishaya and copied to the Plateau State Commissioner of Police and the Director of State Services said the strike was in line with the directive of their national secretariat.

The letter reads in part “… This is to officially inform you that our National Secretariat has declared a seven-day warning strike with effect from Monday, March 18 to Sunday, March 24, 2024, respectively. Accordingly, this is to put you on notice that all our services will be withdrawn with no concession, from midnight of Sunday, March 17, 2024, till Sunday, March 24, 2024…”

The duo said in Jos that any of their members found to have sneaked in to carry out any office duty would be sanctioned as the warning strike has to be carried out to the letter.

They insisted that their members including the gatemen were on strike hence there was no one to open and close the gates on the campuses.

The Management of the University didn’t address the unionists as they dispersed in the afternoon, promising to return on Tuesday.

Enugu

Withheld Salary: Administrative activities paralysed in UNN as SSANU, NASU join nationwide warning strike

The administrative activities, Monday was paralysed at University of Nigeria, Nsukka, UNN, following the Senior Staff Association of Universities, SSANU, and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational Associated Institutions NASU joining the seven days nationwide warning strike.

SSANU and NASU said the aim of the warning strike called by their national Joint Action Committee, JAC, was to protest Federal Government failure to pay members four months withheld salaries during their strike in 2022.

Addressing members during an emergency congress on Monday at the University premises, Dr. Linus Akata, Chairman of SSANU-UNN flanked by Comrade Ekene Amu, Chairman of NASU-UNN said that the aim of the emergency congress was to tell their members about the 7-day nationwide warning strike declared by JAC.

Akata said that the strike would be total and comprehensive in UNN, in total adherence and compliance to the directive of the national leadership.

He said that all the administrative offices and essentials service sections of the university were already under lock and key,

The union leader warned that the unions would deal decisively with any member found defaulting or sabotaging the seven day warning strike.

“Members are directed to go home immediately after this congress and stay away from work until the 7-day warning strike ends, as any defaulting member will be decisively dealt with.

“This warning strike is total and comprehensive as administrative block of the UNN, offices, works department, University Medical Centre, University Primary School and among others have been shut down till the end of the strike.

“There will be no water and electricity supply from the university hostels, also internet facilities from the university have been shut down for the period as we have directed our members working in these places to go home” he said.

Akata said that the unions have no apology over the 7-day warning strike as their national leadership had done everything necessary to avert the strike by appealing to government to do the needful.

“SSANU and NASU have written so many letters to government, held several press conferences, led delegations to government officials in a bid to resolve the issue but all to no avail.

“So, at the end of this warning strike, if the government did not meet our demand we will also take directive from our national body on the next line of action,” he said.

Akata urged members to go home and relaxed in their houses till the end of strike but should report any threat or query for not coming to work from management, head of department or faculty to the union.

Some students interviewed by our reporter over the 7-day warning strike by non-teaching staff, expressed concern and appealed to government to quickly resolved the issue to avoid anything that would again disrupt academic calendar in public universities. (Vanguard)

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