Minister meets varsity unions’ leaders

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, yesterday met with the leadership of the striking Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) on how to end the ongoing seven-day warning strike by the unions.

Mamman told reporters after the meeting that the Federal Government would continue to dialogue with the unions to ensure that things do not escalate beyond where they are.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the unions started a seven-day nationwide strike on Monday to protest the refusal of the Federal Government to release their four-month salaries withheld in 2021 because they embarked on a strike.

He said: “It is our expectation that things will not go beyond what it is. We have a good understanding with the unions to ensure stability in our tertiary institutions.

“We will do everything possible to maintain confidence in the unions so that the issue of the strike can be rested.”

NASU General-Secretary Peters Adeyemi lauded the openness of the government to end the strike.

“We have been duly briefed by the government team, led by the Minister of Education, in the efforts that government is making in respect of our demands.

“We have said that since this is a warning strike, this effort should continue and, hopefully before the end of warning strike, something reasonable and tangible will come from government.”