NASU, SSANU, NAAT issue strike alert, prepares total shutdown of Nigerian varsities

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), has issued a strike notice alert that would totally shutdown academic activities across the country’s tertiary institutions.

The unions however, urged the Federal Government to take immediate action to resolve and importantly meet its obligations as stated in the agreements reached with them.

Rising from a meeting held last Thursday in Abuja, JAC, in a statement jointly signed by the General Secretary of NASU, Comrade Peters Adeyemi and the National President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed H. Ibrahim, said, “We can no longer guarantee industrial peace in our university system.

“With this release, we place all Nigerians on red alert of the possibility of an industrial action by the non-teaching staff unions of NASU and SSANU, as we can no longer watch as agreements freely entered into by the Federal Government with the unions are not respected.

“Having waited one whole year for the consummation of the Memorandum of Understanding and despite all peaceful entreaties, we wish to notify all stakeholders in the Nigerian universities and inter-university centres and indeed all Nigerians of the possible breakdown of industrial peace in the university system borne out of disrespect for collective bargaining agreements reached with NASU and SSANU by the government.”

The statement further read, “JAC noted that the January 2021 industrial action was preceded by a Memorandum of Action in October 2020 which highlighted the following:  inconsistencies in IPPIS payment, non-payment of earned allowances, delay in renegotiation of FGN/NASU and SSANU agreement, non-payment of arrears of National Minimum Wage, usurpation of headship of non-teaching units, in clear violation of conditions of service and establishment procedures, neglect and poor funding of state universities, non-payment of retirement Benefits to outgoing members of non-constitution of visitation panel to universities.

“We wish to make it public that till date, except for the constitution of visitation panels whose white papers are yet to see the light of the day, none of the issues as agreed in the October 2020 and February 2021 Memorandum of Action have been implemented.

In the same vein, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), has also threatened to go on strike if urgent resolution is not given to pending issues stated in already existing agreements reached with the government.

NAAT, in a statement signed by its National President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, said, “Going by the government’s continued insensitivity to the genuine yearnings/agitations and demands of members of National Association of Academic Technologists over many burning issues in the area of re-positioning the laboratories/workshops/ studios in the Nigerian public universities and the near total neglect of the welfare of members of our union, the union is being compelled by the government through its activities and dispositions to embark on what may turn out to become a total and indefinite industrial action.”

The reasons necessitating it proposed strike, according to NAAT, are, “Non-full implementation of the 2009 FGN/NAAT agreement; the refusal to release the enabling circular for the implementation of CONTISS 14 & 15 for Academic Technologists as contained in the MOU of 2017, 2020 and 2021

“Non-payment of earned allowance for our members, specifically as agreed in the MOU of 2021 that subsequent release of EA shall be union-based and subsequent sharing shall be based on template generated from signed agreement of each union and not number of persons in each union or personnel cost; delay in renegotiation of FGN/NAAT 2009 agreement.

“Non-payment of arrears of National Minimum Wage; non-release of adequate laboratories/workshops and studios rehabilitation fund; the deplorable condition of laboratories/workshops/studios in Nigerian universities; the near comatose of laboratory equipment and accessories; the neglect of infrastructural facilities in the laboratories/workshops and studios.

“Non-provision of intervention funds for equipment procurement and training of laboratory end users, the Academic Technologists; mismanagement/misapplication of limited funds by university administrators whenever they are provided; non-employment to replace the retired Academic Technologists in some universities with young ones; need to halt brain drain due to poor remuneration and deplorable working condition.

“In the light of the above, failure on the part of the government to address all the issues,, NAAT may be compelled to embark on an industrial action which shall be total and indefinite.

“NAAT therefore calls on all well-meaning Nigerians (Traditional rulers, religious leaders, members of the National Assembly, etc) to prevail on the government to avert the looming strike action,” the union stated.

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