Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU) has declared intentions of its members to join the lingering lecturers’ strike tomorrow(Monday 30th September, 2013).
Besides, the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) has also declared intentions to resume its suspended strike next Friday if board fails to meet the needs and demands of polytechnic education in the country.
The union which already passed a vote of no confidence on the National Board for Technical Education (NBTE) based on allegations of insincerity and failure of the Federal Government to honour agreement entered with the union.
However, SSANU revealed that it has started mobilizing members across the country to join the industrial action in solidarity with their colleagues basically because of the halt of the payment of their salaries for two months.
According to a letter which was dated 27 September, 2013, and signed by the General Secretary, Comrade Promise Adewusi, the union called on all its branch chairmen in universities nationwide to stay away from their offices as from Monday 30th September, 2013 “until the salaries are fully paid”.
The President, SSANU, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, declared a total strike by the members adding that “no member should go back to work until a counter directive was given”.
Adewusi stated in the letter that the union took the decision following its letters to the vice-chancellors in universities, the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator Anyim Pius Anyim, Ministers of Labour and Productivity, Chief Emeka Wogu and Education, Nyesom Wike, as well as the Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission, Prof. Julius Okojie.
Meanwhile, the federal government seems to be adding salt to the injuries of the lecturers when it declared that the lecturers’ union, Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) is telling lies to the public about issues pertinent to the pending strike.
The Senior Special Assistant to the President on Youth and Students Matters, Com. Jude Imagwe insisted that ASUU is being economical with the truth on the education matters at hand adding that the union has been giving out false claims on the issue.
Imagwe told some youth groups in Abuja that the lectures are not fighting to restore infrastructural decay in universities but they (ASUU) are simply fighting for allowances.
“They initially told us that it was about infrastructure, but it is about allowances” he said.
“N30b has been released for the payment of their accumulated allowances, and N100b earmarked for infrastructural development.
“It is important for the public to know that government did not say this is all that it will give, but government says go and start the payment with this amount and let us know the amount it will add”, he stated.