The Federal Government has called on the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) to end their strike, now in its fifth day. This plea was made by Dr. Yusuf Sununu, outgoing Minister of State for Education, who led a government delegation in discussions with union leaders on Thursday.
Representing new Education Minister Dr. Tunji Alaussa, Dr. Sununu reaffirmed that efforts are ongoing to address the grievances that led to the strike, which has resulted in the closure of public universities across Nigeria since Monday. The unions are protesting the government’s failure to release four months of withheld salaries from 2022.
In the meeting, Dr. Sununu assured union leaders of the government’s dedication to resolving the matter, stating that talks had reached an advanced stage and appealing for cooperation from union members to help stabilize the academic environment.
Comrade Hassan Makolo, Chairman of the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU, expressed optimism about the meeting’s progress. He assured that the unions would suspend the strike once members receive payment alerts for the withheld salaries, saying, “By the time our members receive payment alerts, the strike will be over.” Makolo also noted that these commitments are expected to prevent similar disputes in the future.
