June 6, 2022

Strike: We’re tired of unending talks – SSANU

The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions has appealed to the Federal Government renegotiation committee to fast track the renegotiation meeting with the Briggs Committee.

Speaking in an interview with our correspondent on Sunday, the National President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, said the union was getting weary at the slow pace of the meeting, saying if the renegotiation was not concluded, there was no way the strike would be called off.

The Briggs Committee, which commenced meeting with the four university unions two weeks ago, is saddled with the responsibility of renegotiating the 2009 agreements the Federal Government signed with the striking unions.

The PUNCH reports that on March 7, 2022, the Federal Government inaugurated a seven-member committee tasked with the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement reached with the union

The committee has the Pro-Chancellor, Alex Ekweme Federal University Ndufu-Alike, Prof Nimi Briggs, as its chairman.

Ibrahim stated, “After the inaugural meeting, we had a major meeting and we have not been invited again. They are meeting all other unions. The government is trying to see that all these four agreements are completed. We are also tired because without these agreements being completed, you cannot call off the strike.

“The meeting should be fast-tracked. It is the solution to the renegotiation, that is, what we are expecting so that we will know that we are done and it is over. The Federal Government should hasten up. People are suffering; they should fast track so we can go back to work.”

Ibrahim added that the Briggs Committee would conduct a test on the Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System on Monday.

“The test is ongoing; the National Information Technology Development Agency will come up with the result. By Monday, they will examine U3PS. All the government agencies will be there and the IPPIS will be tested too. This time, whatever result that will come out will be through NITDA. We have yet to touch anything financial,” Ibrahim stated.

SSANU’s strike started with a warning strike of two weeks, which commenced on Sunday, March 27, 2022, while the extension of another two weeks commenced on Sunday, April 10, 2022, and it is still ongoing.