University workers in Nigeria who are currently on strike have called on the Federal Government to release the sum of N30billion for the three non-teaching staff of the varsities as earlier agreed before the strike could be called off.
The three non-teaching staff unions under the auspices of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and National Association of Academic Technologists had embarked on another industrial action following the failure of the government to honor the agreement reached with the unions.
Addressing journalists at the Federal University of Technology, Akure ( FUTA) , Ondo State capital , the National Vice President of the SSANU, Mr. Alfred Jimoh, said if the government release the N30billion it would be added to the N4.6billion shared among the three non-teaching staff.
According to him, government should release more funds to take care of the arrears of the Earned Allowance of the three non-teaching staff of the Nigerian universities and to commence the immediate implementation of the allowances to forestall further accumulation of the arrears. "
Jimoh who accused the government of using divide and rule system among the universities workers declared that the ongoing strike would be total until the government respond to their demand.
He noted that the unions regretted the strike action following its effects on parents and the varsities’ students but they (unions) had no option but to go on strike.
“We have no option but to embark on the strike as the last option since all our efforts to engage the government were ignored and only the union that is most prone to strike is the one government would always want to favour." Jimoh explained.
