Government Accused of Selective Payment in Nigerian Universities’ Salary Dispute, Reject Government’s Plea, Vow to Continue Strike

A meeting between the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, and the leadership of striking workers’ unions in Nigerian universities on Wednesday did not yield the desired outcome of ending the seven-day warning strike that commenced on Monday.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) had directed their members to withdraw their services over the government’s refusal to pay four months’ withheld salaries since 2022.

The strike has had severe consequences on university campuses, including the death of a student at the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti (FUOYE) in Ekiti State, who reportedly died due to the unavailability of healthcare services on campus during the strike.

The unions cited neglect by the government and the disregard of letters of complaint sent to the appropriate authorities as reasons for the strike.

In a bid to resolve the issue, the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, and his Minister of State counterpart, Tanko Sununu, led other ministry officials in a meeting with the union leaders. However, the government’s plea to suspend the strike while addressing the workers’ demands was not successful.

Mr. Mamman acknowledged the concerns of the workers and assured them of the government’s commitment to addressing their issues. He stated that the request for payment of the withheld salaries had been made to superior authorities and was awaiting approval.

Despite the government’s assurances, the President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, stated that the meeting ended in a deadlock. He expressed dissatisfaction with the government’s selective payment approach, which had never been done before, and questioned the segregation of payments between teaching and non-teaching staff.

The strike stems from a previous industrial action in 2022, during which the government, under former President Muhammadu Buhari, withheld salaries of university workers for eight months. While four months’ salaries were later paid to ASUU members, the fate of non-teaching staff remained uncertain, leading to the current strike action.

The unions are demanding equal treatment and the immediate payment of their withheld salaries, emphasizing their commitment to the strike until their demands are met.

Premium Times