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

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

On Sunday, Ibrahim said that the two unions were set for their nationwide strike.

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

However, during the Channels Television’s Morning Show 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As of today (Monday), all our workers in registry, bursary, works and maintenance, security, and students’ affairs have withdrawn their services and nothing moves within the administration of any public university in Nigeria and that will be the case for the next seven days until and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 reached out to 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.

The unions said the declaration was made to demand the payment of four months of withheld salaries of their members by the Federal Government after the 2022 nationwide strike.

This followed the resolution of the joint action committee of the two unions after a meeting held in Akure, the Ondo State capital on Saturday and Sunday.

A statement jointly signed by the National President, SSANU, Samson Ugwoke, and General Secretary, NASU, Peter Adeyemi, said the strike was premised on the inconsistencies of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System in the payment of salaries and the non-payment of Earned Allowances to members.

While addressing journalists after a joint congress in front of the University of Lagos Senate building on Friday, the branch chairmen of UNILAG chapters of SSANU and NASU, Olusola Sowunmi and Kehinde Ajibade, said they were now rejecting IPPIS because the government promised to take care of the peculiarities of the university system, but failed to do so.

Sowunmi said, “We are disappointed with the turnout of things. The IPPIS failed to meet our expectations and our retired members are not being paid as and when due. Also, we are not being paid the new minimum wage that other agencies of government have been enjoying. The new wage is a matter of law as it was an act of parliament.”

Ajibade said if the government could find means of paying other workers the new minimum wage, it should also pay them.

He said, “Just as the government has given schools notice of resumption, our national leadership also gave us the notice to announce this warning strike over a month ago. After the two weeks, if nothing is done to address our concerns, we will meet and deliberate on the next line of action.”

But the four staff unions at Lagos State University, Ojo has reportedly locked out their Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Olanrewaju Fagboun​, and students as the university resumes today.

The unions involved in the protest are the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union, and the National Association of Academic Technologists.

It was gathered that members of the unions stood at the gate as early as 7am preventing members of staff from gaining entry into the University.

They were protesting​ non-payment of the salary increment promised them by the Lagos State Government over a year ago.

They claimed​ other Lagos State workers had received the increment but all the tertiary institutions in Lagos State were yet to be included.

The VC of the Institute attempted to appeal to the unions but they didn’t oblige him. 

It was gathered that the protest by the unions is holding across tertiary institutions in Lagos State, The PUNCH reports.