The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at the Federal University of Technology, Minna (Futminna) in Niger State, has made a heartfelt appeal to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to pay the four-month withheld salaries of the university’s non-teaching staff.
This group includes members from SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
In a statement, SSANU Chairman Abubakar Aliyu highlighted the challenges faced by public universities after the prolonged strike. He noted that upon resumption, universities had to immediately conduct the 2021–2022 academic session due to university autonomy, which necessitated a revision of the academic calendar. This period was also marked by the demanding schedule of combined admissions, registrations, matriculations, convocations, and multiple mobilizations for the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) across all public universities in Nigeria.
Aliyu also called on the Minister of Education to expedite the conclusion of the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement with the unions. He praised the minister for facilitating the exit of universities from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) and implementing a 25/35 percent salary increase, and urged similar promptness in addressing the salary arrears issue.
In a gesture of support, the association dedicated the last 10 days of the 2024 Ramadan prayers to the success of President Tinubu’s administration, reflecting their hopes for a swift resolution to their concerns.