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, which has entered its fifth day and led to the shutdown of public universities across Nigeria.
The unions began an indefinite strike on Monday over the government’s failure to pay four months of withheld salaries from 2022.
Leading the government’s delegation, outgoing Minister of State for Education, Dr. Yusuf Sununu, appealed to union leaders on Thursday to reconsider the industrial action, stressing that measures are actively being taken to resolve the payment issues.
Representing the new Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alaussa, Sununu emphasized the importance of cooperation to restore stability within the educational sector.
During the meeting, Dr. Sununu reassured union representatives of the government’s dedication to addressing their concerns, stating, “We have reviewed the reasons for the strike and briefed them on the Federation Ministry of Education’s efforts to resolve the issues.”
He noted that the discussions had progressed significantly and expressed hope for an early resolution.
Comrade Hassan Makolo, chairman of the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU, responded positively to the dialogue, highlighting that the unions are prepared to call off the strike as soon as their members receive the outstanding salaries.
“We had a productive discussion… By the time our members receive payment alerts, the strike will be over,” Makolo confirmed, adding that he hopes the commitments made will prevent similar issues from arising in the future.
