More university workers, apart from ASUU, threaten another standstill in tertiary education
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
University workers in the ranks of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) have given the Federal Government a seven-day strike notice over unpaid allowances and other unresolved welfare issues.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has already issued another strike notice over non-provision of welfare, a lack of adequate teaching tools, and related matters on campuses – in a longstanding disagreement that predates even the Muhammadu Buhari years of the locust.
A letter jointly signed by SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim and the other unions decried the “unjust disbursement of the earned allowances to staff of universities, non-payment of outstanding allowances, among others.”
Ibrahim disclosed that the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU in a letter dated June 18 drew the attention of the government to unresolved matters which led to a meeting with the Minister of Education on July 4.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the issues raised in the letter centred on: unjust disbursement of N50bn earned allowances; non-payment of outstanding withheld salaries and 25/35 per cent salary increments; and renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreements,” Ibrahim said.
The letter recounted that at the July 4 meeting, a resolution was reached to set up a Tripartite Committee of the Ministry of Education, the National Universities Commission and JAC to address the “skewed distribution of the N50 billion earned allowances in which our members in the universities were shortchanged, while those in the Inter-University Centres were completely shut out of the distribution.
“While there was no conclusion at the 4th July 2025 meeting on the issue of payment of two months’ outstanding withheld salaries owed our members, you pledged to set machinery in motion to expedite action on the issue of arrears of 25/35 per cent salary increments owed our members.”
The unions lamented that despite a reminder letter dated August 18, nothing has been done.
“It is on record that Alhaji Yayale Ahmed-led Renegotiation Committee inaugurated on 15th October, 2024 to review the 2009 agreements with the university-based unions only had inaugural meeting with JAC of NASU and SSANU on 10th December, 2024.
“Since then, the Federal Government team has gone into limbo with the non-teaching staff unions, whereas information at our disposal confirmed that the same Federal Government team has already concluded renegotiation with our counterpart, the Academic Staff Union [ASUU], and at the verge of signing an agreement, while the Federal Government team has refused to engage the non-teaching staff unions and even sidelined us despite fulfilling all justifications including re-submission of our Memoranda of Demands.
“In light of the persistent unresolved issues, and the apparent lack of responsiveness from the government to our legitimate concerns, we are compelled to serve a formal notice of seven days effective from Monday, 15th September, 2025 to address our agitations, failing which members of NASU and SSANU would embark on a series of legitimate industrial actions including strikes to press home our demands.”
Ibrahim had first warned last week of a crippling action if demands are ignored.
“Ours will not be the ‘mother of all strikes,’ it will be the grandfather of all strikes, because when SSANU or NASU strikes, you know what it means. We must take our destinies in our hands,” he said.
“The conditions of service of university workers are the worst hit financially, economically and psychologically.”
SSANU and NASU – like ASUU – have also been in yearslong disagreement with the Federal Government over welfare and conditions of service.
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