The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have commenced a nationwide strike due to what they perceive as unfair treatment and disparity in the payment of withheld salaries by the Federal Government.

SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, confirmed the strike on Channels Television’s The Morning Brief program, stating that all workers in various university departments had withdrawn their services. This action has effectively halted administrative activities in public universities across Nigeria for the next seven days.

Ibrahim expressed disappointment that no government representative had officially engaged with the non-academic unions. Although some unofficial contacts were made, the assurances given were not considered reliable.

He criticized what he perceived as sabotage within the government, questioning why President Bola Tinubu's directive to pay 2022 arrears to varsity unions was not fully implemented by some government officials.

Despite issuing a seven-day notice last Monday, Labour Minister Nkiruka Onyejeocha has not reached out to the aggrieved unions. Ibrahim contrasted this with the responsiveness of the former Labour minister, Chris Ngige.

Should the government fail to address the unions' demands after the seven-day warning strike, SSANU and NASU would decide their next course of action.

Last Monday, SSANU and NASU had threatened to close down university hostels and power supplies if their demands were not met by March 18, 2024. Ibrahim highlighted that even vice-chancellors, registrars, and bursars had not received their 2022 arrears.

The unions had previously embarked on an eight-month strike in 2022, pressing for improved welfare among other demands. Despite the 'No Work, No Pay policy' invoked against them by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari, Tinubu approved the release of four of the eight months' withheld salaries for ASUU members in October.

Ibrahim criticized the Accountant General's office and the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) for their treatment of SSANU and NASU, despite presidential waivers granted to all striking unions in 2022.

He attributed the situation to a misplacement of priorities, emphasizing that all university staff should be treated equally.