By Aisha Muhammad Magaji
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) have extended their strike ultimatum to the Federal Government by an additional two weeks. The move comes after a consultative meeting with the Ministry of Education and other stakeholders failed to resolve outstanding grievances.
The unions had initially issued a seven-day ultimatum on September 15, demanding the immediate resolution of welfare issues, including the disbursement of earned allowances, unpaid outstanding benefits, and other staff entitlements. In a joint statement, SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim emphasized that the extension was meant to provide the government with “another opportunity to act,” warning that failure to address their demands would trigger further industrial action.
The unions expressed frustration over what they perceive as discriminatory treatment compared to negotiations with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), noting that their issues had not received similar urgency despite repeated submissions. They have called for immediate intervention from the government to prevent disruption to university operations.
The Federal Government has yet to respond publicly to the extended ultimatum. Observers warn that if the issues remain unresolved, the ongoing tension could significantly disrupt academic activities across federal universities nationwide.
