We’ll paralyse academic activities by February 5 — Varsity workers

The Joint Action Committee of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), on Friday said it had resolved to cripple academic activities in all tertiary institutions by February 5 over government’s failure to address lingering issues.

It would be recalled that the unions had embarked on a three-day nationwide protest last week to press home their demands after which it directed all its members to hold congress nationwide to take a unanimous stand.

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They reiterated contentions issues as: inconsistencies in the implementation of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), non-payment of Earned Allowances, non-payment of arrears of national minimum wage, delay in renegotiation of FG/NASU and SSANU 2009 agreement and non-payment of retirement benefits of outgone members.

Other issues raised in contention include: the usurpation of headship of non-teaching units by the teaching staff in clear violation of condition of service and establishment procedures, neglect and poor funding of state universities and non-constitution of visitation panels universities.

Addressing journalists at a joint press briefing in Abuja, SSANU President, Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, said this was part of the resolutions reached by members of both unions in all branches during the recent nationwide congress.

The union leaders disclosed that 90% of NASU members was in support of total strike and 10% went against it, while 83% of SSANU members was in support of the complete strike, 11% was against it while 6% was indifferent.

Reading the text of the briefing, Adeyemi said, “It is in line with the resolution of our members nationwide, that the leadership of the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU hereby resolve as follows:

“That the two weeks notice, effective from today, January 22 is hereby given to government and relevant stakeholders of this development.”

The union leaders insisted that despite series of strike notifications given to Federal Government, only one issue had been partially resolved while others were unattended to by the government three months after signing a Memorandum of Understanding.