National Telescope national telescope newspaper
Members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Other Associated Institutions (NASU) have signaled their intention to resume a suspended strike due to four months of unpaid salaries by the Federal Government.
Peters Adeyemi, NASU’s General Secretary, made this announcement during the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) meeting in Abuja.
While he did not specify an exact date for the strike’s resumption, he indicated that the decision would likely be made during the ongoing discussions.
Adeyemi expressed frustration over the situation, stating, “Our patience has been exhausted, and we are going to resume the suspended strike.”
He highlighted the ongoing issues surrounding the payment of two months’ salaries that President Bola Tinubu had directed to be released, which have yet to materialize.
He criticized the government for disobeying the President’s directive, noting, “In the past, we expected the President’s words to carry weight, but it seems the Minister of Finance is not prioritizing this matter.”
Adeyemi emphasized that the union had previously urged members to remain patient, hoping for a resolution.
However, he now feels that the government’s inaction has left them with no choice but to move forward with the strike.
He added, “This disregard for the President’s directive is disrespectful and could lead to industrial unrest in an otherwise calm atmosphere.
The Finance Minister’s failure to act undermines the President’s efforts to avoid strikes in our universities.”
This announcement comes in the wake of President Tinubu’s October 2023 directive to pay NASU and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities members two out of the four months of salaries withheld by the previous administration under President Muhammadu Buhari after a protracted strike over unresolved issues.
