Senate reacts to impending SSANU, NASU nationwide strike

The Senate on Tuesday passed a resolution to stop the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non -Academic Staff of Nigerian Universities (NASU) from carrying out their threat to go on strike.

The resolutions followed a motion by Sen. Barau Jibril (APC Kano) on the urgent need to avert the impending strike being planned by SSANU and NASU.

Barau, who brought his motion, citing Order 42 and 52 of the Senate Rule, said that both unions had issued a warning strike on the Federal Government.

He said the strike would not be in the interest of the nation’s tertiary institutions, if allowed to go on.

He said the unions hinged their reason for the planned action on government’s inability to grant their request.

According to him, the unions said their members were excluded from participating in the new pension administrator approved for the university lecturers.

He said the unions described as unacceptable, the payment of 20 percent earned allowance to their members as against the 80 percent to the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU).

The lawmaker said that it was incumbent on the senate to urgently intervene to avert the strike.

Seconding the motion, Sen. Adamu Aliero (APC Kebbi) said it was important for the senate to intervene and avert another crisis in the nation’s higher institutions.

Contributing, Sen. Chimaroke Nnamani (PDP Enugu) said the senate must urgently intervene to advert the looming strike by the unions.

Sen. Ibrahim Oloriebe (APC Kwara) said strike in the university would put students on the streets.

Other senators, who supported the motion, underscored the need for a stable academic calendar in the education sector.

They also called for adequate funding of the tertiary institutions and payment of university lecturers.

In its resolution, the Senate resolved to invite SSANU, NASU and ASUU officials to resolve the issues.

It also resolved to invite the officials of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity and the Federal Ministry of Education to address the issues raised by the unions.