SSANU, NASU Begin Warning Strike in UNILORIN
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities SSANU University of Ilorin on Monday joined their counterparts in other Universities to begin a 7-day warning strike.
The warning strike was to ensure the Federal Government to pay the withheld four months’ salaries of their members in the Federal Universities and inter Universities Centres as done for their Academic counterpart
There was gridlock at the entrance gate of the University of Ilorin on Monday morning as the workers converged on the gate of the University to press home their demands just as students who were going to school to write their examinations pleaded with the government to do the needful and listen to the workers.
The Director of Corporate Affairs of the University of Ilorin, Mr Kunle Akogun said that the strike did not affect the Students examination going on in the institution.
“We don’t want the warning strike to affect the Students, the Management made a special arrangement so that the ongoing examination would continue”, Akogun said.
Speaking with newsmen in Ilorin, the National Financial Secretary SSANU
Comrade Akanbi Mohammad Jiman said “you remember that last Tuesday we had our congress and told our members that the seven days ultimatum had been given to the Federal Government on the issue of payment of our four months arrears of ssalaries following the directive of the National body of SSANU, NASU.
“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 forth coming, leadership of our Unions 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 on 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.
The strike 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.”
The Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Unilorin Branch Com Falowo Olushola Naheem said “After all deliberation, 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 expire today because they were put on notice that incase 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.
There are other issues which include the renegotiation of 2009 agreement that is due for review every three three years.
If you count 2009 up till this time you know how many years we have; we also have the N50bn allowance that was appropriated by the last administration that was tamed to have been paid and appropriated by the government 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 council that was dissolved by this current administration alot of activities will not go smoothly if the council is not in place and that is why we request that the council should be immediately reconstituted.
Chairman ASUU 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.
ASUU has give its support and solidarity to 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 onto 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 were enjoined to go back home and sit down, they should not go to work they should not work.
The Chairman of National Association of Academic Technologist Unilorin branch Comrade Awolola Oluwafemi Paul said ” the agitation we have for our members is basically on the unpaid backlog salaries of our members.
“Actually, there was ‘no work no pay order’ that was carried out to every union on campus but later on when the Tinubu administration came on board in his own good wisdom and kindness, he approved that the four months backlog salaries should be paid for all Unions on campus but to our disbelief and displeasure we found out that only that of ASUU was paid to them.
“As a matter of fact, the attention of Rt. Hon. Femi Gbajabiamila, Chief of Staff to the President and Prof. Tahir Mamman, SAN, OON, the Honourable Minister of Education was called to this injustice and unfair treatment of our members in our letter referenced JAC/NS/VOL I1/277 dated 11th February, 2024 and to also inform them to resolve that positively before it leads to unnecessary upheaval in our University Sector.
“In a similar vein, a press release was issued on 1° March, 2024 and the Federal Government was given 7-days utmatum to do the needful in respect of the payment of the witheld 4 months salares but nothing was done on same.”
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