The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have instructed their members across the country to embark on a seven-day strike commencing on Monday, March 18.
In a memorandum issued on Friday, the strike action is a response to the Nigerian government’s failure to address the issue of unpaid withheld salaries owed to their members, in line with an earlier ultimatum and threat issued by the unions.
The memo, issued by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU and endorsed by the National President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, and the General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, emphasises the necessity for complete adherence to the directive by branch leaders.
JAC has squarely laid the blame on the Nigerian government for the escalation of the issue, questioning the rationale behind the payment of withheld salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while disregarding their own members’ entitlements.
The memo reads in part: “Please note that the 7-day warning strike should be comprehensive and total, as no concession should be given in any guise.
“Your strict compliance and adherence to this directive are mandatory for all NASU and SSANU branches in universities and inter-university centres.”