By Oguadimma Chisom Jacinta
Following the ongoing indefinite nationwide strike of members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) which began Monday, 28th , October, 2024.The strike began as a result of four months withheld salaries since the 2022 strike and this has shut down operations at public universities.
According to the statement made by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, which displays concern over the government’s failure to address the issues of the unpaid salaries.
They, therefore, directed members across public universities and inter-university centers to “hold joint congresses on Monday, October 28, 2024, and commence a comprehensive strike” emphasizing that no concessions should be made.
According to figures from the National Universities Commission, NUC, about 2.1 million students studying in the universities would be affected by the strike.
At the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), a final year student of the department of Mass Communication, Miss Chidera shared how the strike is affecting her.
“I stay in the one of the school hostels, and currently we are facing water challenges, for the past two days, I have not had water to bath and cook and these people in strike are those in charge of this role” Chidera said.
While she laments , she is urging the union and the federal government to take up immediate action so that they can return back to work .
“This is not funny at all, classes were fixed today but on getting to the lecture hall, everywhere was locked up,only for us to be told that the wokrers who are meant to be on duty are on strike, we had to use an open place for our lectures.
“As much as the students are not affected , these bodies are part of the school administration and without them, it will be very hard to function effectively.I hope the government can pay them so that they can return back to work”. Another student enchoed.
Speaking with one of the hall Governors of the female hostel who wishes to remind anonymous voices that “the whole hostel occupants are on my neck due to the water scarcity, the personnels who are in charge of the things are not functioning now which makes it hard for us to get water.” She said,
Another student from the department of Computer Robotics, Miss Chineye, expressed her dissatisfaction over the whole situation.” The school health centre is not on duty because of this strike, I have been very sick and need medical attention” she lamented.
If the government doesn’t do something after this, it will paralyze the academic activities, the student is pleading on the government to attend to the needs of these bodies (SSANU and NASU) so that they can return back to work .