The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) say there is no going back on the unions’ protest billed for Tuesday over salary arrears owed members.
Coming at a time that universities are currently doing their second semester exams leave much to be desired as both the parents and students have become restive and anxious.
However, both unions had planned the protest to press for the payment of the salary arrears, promised by the government, but yet to be honoured after several months.
Though there were hopes that the government, may characteristically, wade in and prevent the protest billed to be held in their branches nationwide, NASU National President Makolo Hassan said there is no going back on the demonstrations.
“No, apart from the failed meeting of Thursday, we have not heard anything from anybody and our members across the country met in their various branches today and they will hit the ground running as from tomorrow,” Makolo said on Monday edition of Channels Television’s current affairs show Politics Today, monitored b Metrobusinessnews.com, (MBN).
According to him, the Federal Government has failed to address the demands of the unions following their warning strike some months back.
He said after Tuesday’s protest, the unions will take the demonstrations to Abuja.
“And like you rightly said, we will appraise it by next week Thursday. On the 18th, we are going to do the national protest in Abuja and after the national protest, if nothing is done, we will get back to the table.
“The two unions will provide the next line of action and the next line of action will be,” the NASU chief said.
The bodies had embarked on a warning strike in March to press home their demands. But deliberations between them and the Federal Government afterward have failed to address the issues.
ALSO READ;Yahaya Bello Loses Bid To Transfer N80.2Bn Fraud Case To Kogi
In June, NASU and SSANU gave the Federal Government a two-week ultimatum to meet their demands and threatened to shut down campuses nationwide if they were not fulfilled.
“We, therefore, demand the immediate payment of the four (4) months withheld salaries to our members not later than two (2) weeks from the date of this correspondence; failing which we will be left with no option but to shut down the Universities and Inter-University Centres,” part of a letter signed by the NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi and SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim read.
Hassan deplored a situation where government and its officials are not committed to the welfare of the staff.
Responding to another inquire, he said even if government does not have to pay all the arrears, the manner of approach matters.
“A situation where we honoured a scheduled meeting with government officials, only to be told that the papers have been sent to the president for approval or that they have not heard anything from the president, leaves much to be desired. We have the approval but no cash backing now, but in the next two, three weeks or months would show commitments on the part of government.”
