Nigerian universities set for more crises as SSANU, NASU, NAT meet on nationwide strike

Three major non-academic staff unions will decide on Wednesday whether to join the strike by university lecturers, PREMIUM TIMES has learnt.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU will meet with the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities, NASU, and the Non-Academic Technicians, NAT, on Wednesday in Abuja to decide on whether to join the ongoing industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, an official told PREMIUM TIMES.

Abdulsubur Salaam, the National Public Relations Officer of SSANU, said during an interview on Sunday that the associations have been “pushed to the wall” by the Nigerian government.

“The federal government has been discussing with the academics but we have been reaching out to them since before now and they have refused to heed to us,” Mr. Salaam said.

The official listed some of the problems the unions had with the government.

“The issue of staff school that is being negotiated and we are not carried along was agreed on by the four unions in Nigerian varsities; our earned allowances have not been paid too and branches are really heaping pressure on us, especially on the staff school issue.

“So full blown strike may be inevitable as at now. However, we would take that meeting on Wednesday and make a decision on this there.”

The ASUU had embarked on a nationwide strike last Monday over demands for improved funding of universities and welfare of lecturers.

A meeting between the union and the Nigerian government last Thursday ended in a deadlock.

But an optimistic Adamu Adamu, the Education Minister, said the strike could be called off within one week.