UNIZIK NASU joins nationwide warning strike

THE Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, chapter of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), on Monday, joined the nationwide two-week warning strike of the body.

The chairman of the institution’s chapter of NASU, Comrade Chukwugozie Ikegwulum, while addressing members during the commencement of the warning strike at the premises of Nnamdi Azikiwe University Primary School, to enforce the directive, said the strike became imperative since the Federal Government had failed to reach a logical conclusion on their demands.

According to Ikegwulum, “We joined in the struggle in order to protect the welfare of our members and to secure the future of our children and that of others as well.”

“We are doing this to lay the foundation for a university system capable of competing with international universities in Nigeria.”

Nigerian Tribune gathered that the action follows what Ikegwulum described as the failure of the Nigerian government to react to the letter earlier issued threatening to down tools, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU).

“We are in strict compliance and adherence to this directive, because it is mandatory for all branches of NASU and SSANU in the universities and inter-university centres across the country.

“As you can see, we have commenced the enforcement by shutting down the university’s primary school and other staff offices across the departments of UNIZIK, as directed by the national body. And the enforcement will continue in the next two weeks, he stated.

The chairman listed the items in the JAC’s agreement with the Nigerian government to include the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, payment of earned allowances, usurpation of non-academic career positions by vice chancellors, the inclusion of university staff school into the university community, non-payment of minimum wage arrears, and funding of state universities.