BREAKING: Nigerian University Workers to Resume Strike, Reason Emerges

• The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Other Allied Institutions (NASU) has announced plans to embark on a strike if their outstanding salaries are not paid
• The union is demanding, among other things, the payment of four months’ withheld salaries, improved remuneration, earned allowances, and the implementation of the 2009 agreements with the government
• Strikes by academic staff in Nigerian universities are very common, and many have spanned months

Legit.ng journalist, Ridwan Adeola Yusuf, has over 9 years of experience covering basic and tertiary education in Nigeria and worldwide.

FCT, Abuja - Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Other Allied Institutions (NASU) have threatened to resume their suspended strike.

As reported by Vanguard on Wednesday, October 16, the planned strike is over a four-month withheld salaries by the Bola Tinubu government.

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The newspaper said Peters Adeyemi, NASU's general secretary, gave this hint on the sidelines of the ongoing National Executive Council (NEC) meeting of the union in Abuja.

Although he declined to give the exact date of the strike’s commencement, it is expected that the NEC members will take the decision during their meeting.

Adeyemi said:

“What is new is that the President’s directive has been disobeyed. We used to know that the president’s words can be equated to a command. So, when the President said to do this, his aides quickly dealt with it. But in this case, it seems as if the minister of finance has his priorities beyond what he ought to have done.

“The money has not been paid. Now it is obvious that we are going to resume our suspended strike. We have given the government enough notice."

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How Tinubu intervened

It would be recalled that in July, President Tinubu intervened in the dispute between the FG and university non-teaching staff over withheld salaries.

The president instructed the ministers of finance, Wale Edun, and education, Professor Tahir Mamman, to work out the modalities for the payment of four months’ salaries owed to the staff.

This directive at the time came on the heels of a tense confrontation between the police and protesting university non-teaching staff in the Federal Capital Territory.

The staff, who have been denied their salaries for several months, organised a peaceful protest to register their grievances. During the demonstration, they clashed with security agents.

ASUU members convene nationwide as tensions rise

Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) across Nigeria started consultative meetings to determine their response to the ultimatum issued by the Nigerian government.

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This decision comes amid growing frustration over unfulfilled demands. The outcome of this meeting may hamper the relative calm currently enjoyed on Nigerian university campuses.

Proofreading by Nkem Ikeke, journalist and copy editor at Legit.ng.

Source: Legit.ng