SSANU, NASU warning strike disrupts admin, academic activities in UNN

Academic activities were partially paralysed at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) and the Enugu campus, following the seven-day warning strike by the Senior Staff Association of Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) correspondents, who monitored the situation at the university, report that the strike affected some ongoing examinations at both campuses of the institution.

NASU, SSANU strike partially disrupted academic activities in UNN, Enugu campus, where students who were writing examinations were allowed to finish while those who were scheduled to start their afternoon papers were chased out of the classrooms.

The striking members also closed many offices including the Students’ Affairs Division and others.

Some of the students lamented the negative effects of the strike on their studies.

Ijeoma Edeh, a 400 Level student of the Faculty of Environmental Studies, said the strike, if allowed to go on, would affect her seriously.

“Please, the government should pay them, otherwise a prolonged strike will spell doom for some of us,” Miss Edeh said.

Another 400 Level student of the Faculty of Architecture, Favour Obichili, appealed to the federal government to resolve their grievances and meet their demands.

SSANU and NASU said the warning strike called by their national Joint Action Committee (JAC) was to protest the federal government’s failure to pay their members four months’ withheld salaries during their strike in 2022.

‘Strike will be total’

Addressing members during an emergency congress in the UNN, Linus Akata, Chairman of SSANU-UNN flanked by Ekene Amu, Chairman of NASU-UNN, said the emergency congress was to tell their members about the warning strike declared by JAC.

Mr Akata said that the strike would be total and comprehensive in UNN, in adherence and compliance to the directive of the national leadership.

He said that all the administrative offices and essential service sections of the university were already under lock and key.

The union leader warned that the unions would deal decisively with any member found defaulting or sabotaging the seven-day warning strike.

“Members are directed to go home immediately after this congress and stay away from work until the seven-day warning strike ends, as any defaulting member will be decisively dealt with.

“This warning strike is total and comprehensive as the administrative block of the UNN, offices, works department, University Medical Centre, University Primary School and among others have been shut down till the end of the strike.

“There will be no water and electricity supply from the university hostels, also internet facilities from the university have been shut down for the period as we have directed our members working in these places to go home,” he said.

‘No apology for strike’

Mr Akata said that the unions had no apology over the seven-day warning strike as their national leadership had done everything necessary to avert the strike by appealing to the government to do the needful.

“SSANU and NASU have written so many letters to the government, held several press conferences, led delegations to government officials in a bid to resolve the issue but all to no avail.

“So, at the end of this warning strike, if the government does not meet our demand we will also take a directive from our national body on the next line of action,” he said.

Mr Akata urged members to go home and relax till the end of the strike but should report any threat or query for not coming to work from management, head of department or faculty to the union.

(NAN)