FG meets SSANU, NASU, NAAT leaders over strike

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, on Wednesday in Abuja met with the leadership of the striking unions to discuss ending the warning strike.

The unions are the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

Mamman told newsmen after the meeting that the Federal Government would continue to dialogue with the unions to ensure that things do not escalate beyond what it is now.

The unions commenced a seven-day nationwide strike on Monday to protest the refusal of the Federal Government to release their four-month salaries withheld in 2021 because they embarked on a strike.

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The minister said, “It is our expectation that things will not go beyond what it is. We have good understanding with the unions to ensure stability in our tertiary institutions.

“We will do everything possible to maintain confidence in the unions so that the issue of the strike can be rested,’’ he said.

Also speaking, the General Secretary of NASU, Prince Peters Adeyemi, commended the openness of the government in ending the strike, insisting that the strike would continue until a favourable response from the government is received.

“We have been duly briefed by the government team led by the Minister of Education in the efforts that the government is making in respect of our demands.

“We have said that since this is a warning strike, these efforts should continue and hopefully before the end of the warning strike, something reasonable and tangible will come from the government.

“We appreciate their openness but this struggle will continue as soon as we receive a positive response from the higher authorities.

“We assure the Nigerian public that the strike will be reviewed appropriately but for now the strike continues while the government continues with efforts to get the desired results so that the universities will come back on stage,” he said.

Corroborating this, the President of NAAT, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, reiterated the decision of other unions, saying that the parties would further consult with their principals and after that would come back and brief the minister. (NAN)