The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian University, SSANU, has made good its threat to embark on a nationwide strike action with a view to forcing the federal government to accede to its demands, even as its members from RSU and IAUE have expressed readiness to be part of the action.
Earlier, SSANU President, Samson Ugwoke while briefing journalists on the 14-day ultimatum given to the federal government. Said it is imperative for the union to embark first on a five days sit-at-home (which commenced Monday and expected to end Friday) based on issues that bother on staff welfare, including backlog of unpaid salaries, apart from the conditions of the university system in the country.
He had assured that the strike would be comprehensive as directives had been given to all universities under its umbrella nationwide for compliance.
In his reaction, Chairman of SSANU, Rivers State University, Nkpolu Oroworukwu, Azure Cheta expressed the readiness of the union to be part of the strike, in compliance with the directives of the central body of the union. He blamed the federal government’s insensitivity to the plight of their members in the staff schools and international schools who were being owed salaries for up to four years on the need to use strike to get their demands addressed. He said that affected staff last received salaries in February 2016
Similarly, at the Ignatius Ajuru Unsiversity of Education, IAUE, Comrade Egwu, chairman of the SSANU was not available for comment, but a senior admin staff who volunteered to comment on the strike actions, said the union had called a congress meeting last week to discuss the matter.
