Warning strike grounds UNIJOS, UI, BUK
The Day One of a warning strike by non-teaching staff members of public universities across the country yesterday grounded critical services at the University of Jos (UNIJOS) in the Plateau State capital.
Daily Trust’s observation of the commencement of the strike embarked upon by the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) showed members in total compliance.
“Compliance is 100 percent. We fully mobilized for the strike, and all members have complied,” Tony Okoka, the spokesman of SSANU told this reporter during the monitoring by officials of a special committee set up to get compliance. “We will continue the monitoring as directed by the national body.”
The three unions are leading the strike action in protest of the federal government’s ‘refusal’ to implement its 2009 agreement with them.
Registrar of the university, Mr. Monday Danjem was not immediately available in his office for comments, just as he did not answer calls on his mobile phone.
In Oyo State, administrative activities were paralyzed at the University of Ibadan when members of the non-academic unions of the institution began the warning strike.
While most non-academic staff resumed at their offices earlier in the day, they immediately shut their doors after attending the joint congress of the union held at the NISER park of the premier university.
Addressing the congress, Wale Akinremi Chairman Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), said the warning strike would be total.
In Kano, the state chapters of NAAT, NASU and SSANU joined the warning strike.
Addressing a press conference, the Chairman SSANU, Haruna Aliyu, who read the text on behalf of NAAT and SAN Hashim Abba Yakasai, who read the text on behalf of Chairmen of NASU and SSANU, Lawan Abdullahi and Haruna Aliyu, said the trio joined the strike in compliance with directives of the national body of three unions.