SSANU and NASU suspend strike, ASUU insists on payment of salaries to call off strike

The joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions have suspended their five months old strike.

This was announced by the President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim who revealed that the strike was suspended for two months after which it would be revisited should the government fail to do the needful.

The strike suspension will take effect on Wednesday, August 24, and it is aimed at giving room for the federal government to implement all the agreements reached. It was gathered that the Federal Government has approved an additional N100 billion for the university sector as part of the understanding in the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement. Besides, N50 billion was equally approved to be shared by the university-based unions as earned allowances.

Ibrahim said; 

”We have only suspended the strike for 60 days. This is just to open a window for the federal government to fulfill all its agreements with us. We will resume the strike after 60 days if the government fails on its promises.” 

While SSANU and NASU through their umbrella, Joint Action Committee, JAC, on Saturday signed agreement to suspend the strike on Wednesday for two months, ASUU has remained adamant, insisting that the government should pay its members the withheld five months salary before it would suspend the six months strike.

The Federal Government had invoked the ‘no work, no pay’ policy for the striking public university workers and the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu on Thursday told journalists that there is no going back on its total implementation.

Multiple sources in the Presidency and the Ministry of Education disclosed that if ASUU refused to reciprocate the Federal Government’s gesture by calling off the strike, the government would consider the option of prescribing the union.