Enugu – The seamless academic activities that has projected the Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, as the best among its contemporaries in the country could be punctured as the unions in the university have threatened to embark on an I definite strike from Saturday, January 18, 2025.

The threat to embark on the industrial action was contained in a circular issued by the the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of all unions on campus dated 17th December, 2024.

According to the letter tagged “Notice of Strike/Industrial Dispute”, jointly signed by all the chairmen and Secretaries of all the four unions on campus – Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU); National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT); Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU – and addressed to the Vice-Chancellor, ESUT, Professor Aloysius-Michaels Okolie, noted that the decision to embark on Indefinite strike was the management’s failure to respond to their demands .

The unions noted that should the management fail to act on their demands by defraying the outstanding arrears owed to ESUT workers at the expiration of the one month notice, between December 18 2024 and January 18 2025, the unions may not have any other option than to embark on indefinite strike

The circular reads;

NOTICE OF STRIKE/INDUSTRIAL DISPUTE

The Joint action Committee of all unions on Campus hereby wish to notify you and your management that the patience of all Esut workers who are represented in all the unions on Campus have been stretched Beyond their elasticity Limit.

It is close to (3) years (three) since you assumed office as the vice-chancellor of our premier University. The unions had on several occasions brought to your notice that we are being owned backlog of arrears of entitlements but unfortunately, all our appeals to you and your management to start addressing this demands has fallen on deaf ears.

Sir, the purpose of this communication is to notify you that you have between today, 17th day of Dec. 2024 and 18th day of Jan. 2025 to defray the outstanding arrears owed to Esut workers.

At the expiration of this one month notice, the unions may not have any other option than to embark on indefinite strike

Thanks for your anticipated co-operation.

The post ASUU, NAAT, SSANU NASU ESUT To Embark On Indefinite Strike On Saturday If… appeared first on ESUT Monitor.

The ongoing nationwide strike by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) continued yesterday on most university campuses across the country.

The unions’ monitoring team yesterday shut down the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) Demonstration Primary School.

It was learnt that the team stormed the primary school within the university, closed it and asked the head teacher and the pupils to go home to enforce the strike.

A senior employee at UNIPORT’s administrative department, who spoke in confidence, said: “The taskforce enforcing the strike today shut down the UNIPORT’s Demonstration Primary School. The headmistress of the schools thought that since it is a primary school, it is not included in the strike.

“But the taskforce explained that members of staff of the primary school are also members of the unions and should be affected by the strike.

“The strike has been effective since it started on Monday. None of them reported to work apart from the people enforcing the strike.”

The strike also stalled the orientation programme organised by the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) at Ile-Ife in Osun State for first year students.

The university’s SSANU Chairman, Dr. Taiwo Arobadi, announced this in an interview with News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Ile-Ife.

Arobadi said that it was a pity that new students, who were being exposed to the dos and don’ts in the institution, could have such an ugly experience while entering the institution.

The SSANU chairman said the union unanimously agreed that the strike be total and indefinite until government listened to its striking members.

“We have spoken with the university management and appealed that they understand the position of the union, adding that the order for the strike came from the national leadership of the union.

“Immediately we receive alert on our phones, we will resume our duties,” he said.

The unions’ Joint Action Committee (JAC) at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) yesterday joined the strike.

Addressing reporters in Ilorin, the university’s NASU Chairman Suberu Ibrahim said the strike would remain total and indefinite until the Federal Government paid the four months’ withheld salaries of its members.

His SSANU counterpart, Mr. Falowo Naheem, expressed displeasure over alleged mistreatment that the unions’ members were getting from the government.

At the Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufo-Alike Ikwo (AE-FUNAI) in Ebonyi State, NASU threatened to sanction defaulters of the strike.

The AE-FUNAI’s NASU Chairman, Mr. Chibuike Igwe, told NAN that the union had mobilised for the full compliance to the industrial action in the university.

Also, the strike grounded administrative activities yesterday at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture in Umudike (MOUAU), Abia State.

Our correspondent reports that apart from the office of the vice chancellor that was open, which members of the striking unions moved to close, all other offices were shut down.

Only the Department of Veterinary Medicine, whose students started their exams last week, was spared.

Other departments were said to have concluded their examinations last two to three weeks.

Apart from security operatives seen at different postings, all other non-academic workers stayed at home.

At the University of Jos (UNIJOS), SSANU Chairman Anthony Joro and his NASU counterpart, Monday Danjuma, said the unions’ members would not return to work until the Federal Government met their demands.

At the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), the unions grounded administrative activities in all the departments.

SSANU Chairman Linus Akata said academic activities at the institution would remain on hold until all outstanding payments were made.

He said: “We held our congress yesterday (Monday) and people voted 100 per cent and commenced the strike immediately.

“Today (Tuesday), it was complied with 100 per cent. The bursar, the registrar and all the principal officers are working from home. No office is open. Both primary and secondary schools have been shut down.”

The unions’ branches at the University of Ibadan (UI) complied with the strike.

A lecturer at the Department of Sociology and Criminology, Dr. Tade Oludayo, told our correspondent that the strike did not have a direct impact on students as they had finished their examinations.

A student and President of the Faculty of Law, Idowu Ademola, said though students had finished their examinations few weeks ago, lecture theatres, libraries, and other places of learning were shut down due to the strike.

The Nation Credited

The post Nationwide Strike: NASU, SSANU Shut Down UNN, Uniport, MOUAU, UNIJOS, OAU Others appeared first on ESUT Monitor.