Nigerian students have lamented the effects of the ongoing strike by the members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU).
Members of the union on Monday commenced an indefinite nationwide strike within campuses of public universities to demand the immediate release of their four-month withheld salaries.
In a statement on Sunday, co-signed by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, the two unions said it was appalling that despite several ultimatums issued, no positive result had come from the government.
The two unions directed their members in all public universities and inter-university centres throughout the country to “hold a joint congress in their respective campuses on Monday, October 28, 2024, and proceed on an indefinite, comprehensive and total strike action as no concession should be given in any guise”.
However, in an interview with our Lagos correspondents, an intended Direct-Entry student at the University of Lagos, Etaso Emmanuel, said the strike is affecting him and other students mentally and financially.
“We are at the senate building in Unilag to submit our DE forms. However, due to the ongoing indefinite strike, we were not able to submit our forms.
“Personally, it is affecting me mentally and financially. I had to wake up 3 AM to be here. I stay at Ibeju-Lekki, and that is a lot of money I spent on transportation down here judging the recent financial situation in Nigeria.
“Not just me. Some students came from outside Lagos, and we converged to meet the strike,” he said.
READ ALSO: SSANU, NASU Begin Indefinite Nationwide Strike Over Withheld Salaries
When asked what he would like to be done regarding the strike, Emmanuel urged for the pressing issues laid by the aggrieved union to be attended to.
“I understand the perspective of the non-working staff. They complained that they haven’t been paid for four months now. But we want them not to look at the financial side, but to consider how the strike will affect us the students.
“We have gone through a lot to be here today. So, they should look at our plights. Also, the federal government should look into their complaints,” he said.
The non-academic staff of Unilag joined the strike today, saying that there was ‘no going back’.
On his part, the Branch Charman, NASU Unilag, Comrade Abiodun Olayinka, said the exclusion of the non-academic staff of universities by the federal government was uncalled for.
“As it is the senate building has closed down and it is going to affect everything. The students would not be allowed to access the lecture room until we get paid our salaries.
“In a situation whereby in a family of four, and a parent decides to give a particular child food and neglect others, definitely, that parent wants others to start crying about. It is affecting us emotionally, physically and otherwise. Our message to the government is very simple. Our withheld salaries should be paid without further delay.
“And the funding of the university, as you can see that the systems and classrooms are not working and should be attended to,” Olayinka said.
On September 17, 2023, the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU handed the Federal Government a three-week ultimatum to pay the outstanding withheld salaries of their members or risk an industrial action.
Before now, the two unions had staged several protests and warning strikes to protest their eight months’ withheld salaries by the Federal Government. During the warning strikes, nothing changed administratively within any public university in Nigeria as hostels and varsity gates were locked up, and electricity supply was cut off by disgruntled non-academic staff.
