FUNAAB’s SSANU, NASU, other join strike

Federal University of Agriculture (FUNAAB), Abeokuta, was deserted on Monday as members of the Senior Staff Association of Universities (SSANU), Non – Academic Staff of Universities (NASU) and National Association of Technologists (NAAT) of the  embarked upon industrial action in compliance with directives from their respective national bodies.

The SSANU chairman, Rotimi Fasunwon, said they began the indefinite strike as directed by national leadership to compel the federal government to implement the 2009 agreement with the union, adequately fund the nation’s universities and fractionalization of salaries among others.

Also, his NASU counterpart, Com. Isiaq Odunjo, said part of the reason for the strike is non registration of university pension scheme, bad governance and corruption in the university system.

But Mr. Adewale Kupoluyi of the Directorate of Public Relations, FUNAAB told The Nation that the striking non – academic staff were acting on the directive of their national bodies.

“The decision taken by the non-teaching staff unions, under the aegis of Joint Action Council (JAC), to embark on strike, was a national one. What happened in FUNAAB, could be seen as a response to the national directive,” Adewale said.

Meanwhile, the non-teaching staff of Nigerian universities on Monday said they would meet to decide on a date to meet with Federal Government over the indefinite strike embarked by the unions.

It will be recalled that the non-teaching staff of universities under the auspices of Joint Action Committee (JAC) had threatened to embark on an indefinite strike from Monday, September 11 over non-implementation of the 2009 agreement.

Mr Samson Ugwoke, the President of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) made this known in a phone interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Monday in Abuja.

“We have commenced the strike today; the strike is total, comprehensive and indefinite. We only just got a letter from the Ministry of Labour and Employment inviting us for a meeting today,” Ugwoke said.