SSANU, NASU, NAAT have plainly told the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration their financial demands to halt the ongoing industrial strike action.
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Striking Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), have called on the Federal Government to release N30billion to them as a condition to calling off their industrial action.
The unions had embarked on the industrial action following the failure of government to honour the agreement reached with them. The demand was made by the National Vice President of SSANU, Mr Alfred Jimoh, after a protest against the Federal Government’s refusal to negotiate with the unions on the strike action.
Addressing journalists at the Federal University of Technology, Akure, Jimoh said if government releases the N30billion, it would be added to the N4.6billion shared among the three non-teaching staff.
“Government should release more funds to take care of the arrears of the earned allowance of the three non-teaching staff of universities and commence the immediate implementation of the allowances to forestall further accumulation of the arrears”, the union leader said.
While accusing government of using divide and rule system among the universities workers, Jimoh declared that the ongoing strike would be total until government responds to their demands.
He noted that the unions regretted the strike action following its effects on parents and students but they (unions) had no option than to embark on it.
He called on well-meaning Nigerians to call on government to accept the proposal of the unions in order for them to end the industrial action.
The workers, drawn from the universities in the southern part of the country, displayed placards and marched through the major streets of Akure, the Ondo State capital, protesting what they described as the insensitivity of government to their plight.
They were led by Jimoh; SSANU National Public Relational Officer (PRO), Salaam Abdussobum; Zonal Secretary, Matthew Eruyen, and Mrs Grace Fadiora.