The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) has issued a warning to disrupt university operations if the government does not release their withheld salaries.
The salaries, withheld during their strike in 2022 under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, have not been released. In a joint letter signed by SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, the unions questioned why the government released four months’ withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) but not to the non-academic staff.
Expressing their dissatisfaction, the unions stated that they can no longer guarantee industrial peace in universities if the owed salaries are not paid by the government.
Earlier, the unions had written protest letters to the Chief of Staff to the President, Femi Gbajabiamila, and the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, on February 13, 2024, regarding the exclusion of non-teaching staff from the payment of outstanding salaries.
The unions emphasized that the Federal Government’s silence on the matter is concerning and warned that they may be forced to take stringent actions if the situation is not addressed within the next seven days. They stated that the lack of response and action from the government may lead to disruptions in university operations, as they have exercised enough patience.