NASU, SSANU Strike: Students, Traders, Commuters, Others Stranded As Workers Shut Down OAU Campus

Students of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, traders, commuters, visitors, and others were stranded on Monday as 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) shut down the campus gate of the university.

It was learnt that the gate was reportedly locked by 7 am, disrupting students, commuters, traders, and others attempting to access the campus environment.

People gathered at the entrance of the university’s main campus gate, hoping that the gate would be opened anytime.

Osun Defender reports that NASU and SSANU began a nationwide strike today (Monday) over alleged unfair treatment and disparity in the payment of salaries by the Federal Government.

Last Monday, the unions threatened to shut down hostels and power supply in universities nationwide if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands before today, March 18, 2024.

The National President of SSANU, Muhammed Ibrahim, said his members, including Vice Chancellors, registrars, and bursars, have not been paid their 2022 arrears.

Meanwhile, the Minister for Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, stated that he was unaware of SSANU/NASU’s planned strike.

However, during Channels Television’s Morning Brief programme, Ibrahim declared that the strike had started.

“Definitely, it (the strike) has already started.

“As of today (Monday), all our workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs have withdrawn their services, and nothing moves within the administration of any public university in Nigeria, and that will be the case for the next seven days until and unless the needful is done,” he stated.

The SSANU president stressed that no government representative has reached out to the non-academic unions, noting that though some have reached out unofficially, their assurances cannot be taken to the bank.

He wondered why some government officials would not fully comply with President Bola Tinubu’s instruction to pay 2022 arrears.

He added that the Minister of Labour, Nkiruka Onyejeocha, has not contacted the aggrieved unions despite issuing a seven-day notice last Monday.

This, he said, was a departure from the responsiveness of the ex-Labour Minister, Chris Ngige.

He stressed that the unions would go back to their toolbox and decide the next line of action should the government fail to heed the unions’ demands after the seven-day warning strike, which commenced today.