OAU and FUTA SSANU, NASU Branches Observe Nationwide Warning Strike
Workers at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) and Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) have embarked on a seven-day warning strike in compliance with the directives of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
On Monday, activities came to a halt at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, Osun State, and the Federal University of Technology Akure (FUTA) as workers adhered to a directive to embark on a seven-day warning strike.
The nationwide warning strike was declared by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) in protest of the Federal Government's failure to pay arrears of four-month salaries owed to members of the unions in 2022.
Reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) indicate that the branches of SSANU and NASU in both institutions complied with the directive from their national bodies by locking the main gates, preventing the entry and exit of vehicles on the campuses. Lecture halls and offices were also locked, disrupting academic activities.
Chairmen of SSANU in the institutions, Mr. Taiwo Arobadi and Mr. Felix Adubi, respectively, stated in separate interviews that the unions' actions were in accordance with the directives of their national bodies. They highlighted that all members in various departments including registry, bursary, works, maintenance, security, and student affairs had withdrawn their services.
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Both Arobadi and Adubi expressed dissatisfaction with the Federal Government's failure to fulfill agreements made in 2009 and 2023 regarding the payment of arrears. They emphasized that if the government meets their demands promptly, the strike will be called off; otherwise, further action will be taken.
Arobadi stressed the disparity in treatment, stating, "We see no reason why the government should pay only the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and abandon SSANU, NASU, and NAAT."
Similarly, Comrade Wole Odewumi, the Chairman of the Non-Teaching Staff Association of Nigerian Universities at OAU, affirmed the workers' compliance with the national directive on the strike. He emphasized the equality of all unions, asserting that since the government had paid ASUU, other unions should also be remunerated accordingly.
Adubi reiterated that the unions in FUTA were not in conflict with the institution's management but with the federal government. He emphasized that no appeal from the school management would deter them from participating in the seven-day warning strike.
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The strike paralyzed administrative and technical activities at FUTA, with the campus deserted and no ongoing academic activities reported.
The strike action aims to address the grievances of SSANU and NASU members across various universities in Nigeria, calling for equitable treatment and the prompt payment of withheld salaries by the Federal Government.
