The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Education Institutions (NASU) on Saturday suspended their strike actions after a brief meeting with the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu in Abuja.
The suspension is expected to take effect from Wednesday. According to the education minister, the Federal Government has committed N50 billion to pay earned allowances for members of SSANU, NASU and the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
However, activities in public universities are expected to remain limited as ASUU remains on strike. Minister Adamu, who had hinted of SSANU and NASU’s strike suspension on Thursday, said ASUU rejected the government’s proposal over the “no work, no pay” rule.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily on Friday, ASUU’s President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, said salary backlogs must be cleared before lecturers return to the classroom. The ASUU chief also said the union does not need a pity party over the government’s withholding of the lecturers’ wages, maintaining that the union “can take care” of its members. ASUU has been on strike since February 14.