The non-academic staff strike in universities

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The non-academic staff strike in universities

By Editorial Board
18 February 2018   |   4:00 am
Education Minister, Adamu Adamu
All three non-academic staff unions – Non-academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) – which form an umbrella for junior and senior non-academic staff in the nation’s universities and research centres are currently on strike. Indeed they have been on strike since December 4 last year over what they termed Government’s failure to pay their earned allowances. By and large the proprietor of the universities and research institutes, the Federal Government, has ignored the striking workers. As a result, the Bursary and Administrative sections, technicians/engineers in the Works and Services Unit, and Hospital/Health centres of the university system have withdrawn their services.
Perhaps because the strike has not totally paralyzed academic activities in the universities, an atmosphere or impression of normalcy has been conveyed to the public. The truth is that thousands of support staff in the universities are currently locked in battle with the Federal Government and the universities are operating at half capacity. Also some of the academic institutions have been completely shut down. While on a visit to Ethiopia recently, in answer to a question on the strike, the President was reported to have said that he was not aware that the non-academic staff were on strike. This is certainly embarrassing. It shows that the Presidency has not been fully briefed about the situation in universities. It also shows poor coordination in the corridors of Government. This may account for the nonchalant attitude of the Federal Government to the nearly ninety-day strike.

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