The University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) Chapter of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), has joined its counterparts in other Universities to commence a 7-day warning strike on the need for the federal government to pay the withheld four months’ salaries of its members in the Federal Universities and inter Universities Centres as done for their Academic counterpart.
Speaking with newsmen in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, on Monday, the National Financial Secretary of SSANU, Comrade Akanbi Mohammad Jiman, said: “You remember that last Tuesday we had our congress, we told our members that a 7-day ultimatum had been given to the federal government on the issue of payment of our four months arrears of salaries, going the directive of National body of SSANU, NASU.
“As it is today, the government is yet to pay the withheld salaries and that is why we have called the congress to inform our members that the strike has commenced today and until Monday, that is the one week warning strike, after that period if nothing is forthcoming, the leadership of our Union will have no option than to call another meeting and take decisive action.
“Let us assume that by today or tomorrow we receive the alert on the unpaid salaries, immediately the national leadership of our Union will give a directive calling off the strike, we are hoping that between now and Friday government will do the needful. It is going to affect all the school activities as you can see now, the examinations are going on in our University here with the absence of non teachers, there is no way they can continue their examinations and so many other things. Without non-teaching staff, the University cannot move.”
The Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) UNILORIN Branch, Comrade Falowo Olushola Naheem, lamented that despite President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s directive that the four months arrears of salaries should be paid to all the university staff, only ASUU was paid. Hence the warning strike embarked upon by SSANU and NASU.
Both NASU Chairman, Bello Haruna Ibrahim, and the Chairman of National Association of Academic Technologist, Comrade Awolola Oluwafemi Paul, corroborated their SSANU counterpart, urging the federal government to do the needful before the expiration of the 7-day warning strike.
Reacting, the Director of Corporate Affairs of the University of Ilorin, Mr Kunle Akogun, said that the strike did not affect the students examinations going on in the institution as some measures have been put in place.
“We don’t want the examination to affect the Students, the Management made a special arrangement so that the ongoing examination would continue,” Akogun added.