The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) will stage a one-day protest on Thursday. The action follows the Federal Government’s failure to meet their long-standing demands.
Acting under the Joint Action Committee (JAC), both unions have directed all branches to mobilise members on Wednesday. They plan marches on campuses, press briefings, and placard displays to highlight their grievances.
The decision came after a JAC meeting on October 6, which reviewed the government’s inaction. Despite multiple ultimatums, the issues remain unresolved.
Among the complaints are the alleged unfair sharing of the ₦50 billion earned allowances and the delay in renegotiating the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreement. The unions also cited unpaid two-month salaries, arrears of 25 and 35 percent increments, and unremitted third-party deductions for May and June 2022.
JAC earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum on September 15 and later extended it by 14 days. That extension expired on Monday, October 6.
In a circular dated October 6, titled “Commencement of Protest Actions,” NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, and SSANU National President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, directed full participation.
The memo stated that the Joint Consultative Committee, recently inaugurated by the Minister of Education, met twice without progress. It urged members in both federal and state universities to comply strictly, stressing that unity is key to success.
SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim accused the government of insincerity. He warned that the unions might resort to an indefinite strike if their demands remain unmet.
“Ours will not be the mother of all strikes,” Ibrahim said. “It will be the grandfather of all strikes. When SSANU or NASU strikes, the system feels it. We must take our destinies in our hands.”
He described non-academic staff as “the worst hit financially, economically, and psychologically.”
For years, both SSANU and NASU have clashed with the Federal Government over welfare and funding issues, similar to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
