The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has threatened to shut down hostels and power supply in universities across the country if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands before next Monday, March 18, 2024.
SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, who was a guest on a Television programme on Monday, said his members including Vice Chancellors, registrars and bursars have not been paid 2022 arrears.
“To surprise you, even Vice Chancellors are involved in this because VCs have not been paid, registrars have not been paid, bursars have not been paid,” Ibrahim stated.
He said there are some universities that are currently holding their semesters’ association but “it’s quite unfortunate that we have to take this painful decision. Some of us also have out children in these schools but when we strike, everything is grounded”.
“Shutting down the university is clearly beyond how it will affect the students because it’s everybody; there will be no electricity, there will be no water, there will be no security, there will be no hostels for students, and there will be no administration,” he stated.
The SSANU leader berated the Federal Government for paying withheld salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting other unions like SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).
The unions had embarked on an eight-month strike in 2022 to press home some of their demands including better welfare package. The administration of then President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against the unions but President Bola Tinubu last October approved the release of four of the eight months withheld salaries for ASUU members.
Earlier on Monday, SSANU and NASU declared a seven-day warning strike, effective March 18, 2024 to demand the payment of four months of their members’ withheld salaries.
Ibrahim said all instruments of communication had failed hence the need for the action.
He insisted that SANU would declare an industrial action if nothing is done by next Monday. He accused the office of the Accountant General, through the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) office, of treating SSANU and NASU with disdain despite that the President granted waivers that all unions which embarked on the industrial action in 2022 be paid.
Ibrahim attributed the whole episode to misplacement of priority, saying that the university is a chain and “you don’t treat a group different and others indifferently”.