GUSAU (Sundiata Scholar) – The Management of the Federal University Gusau has appealed to the Federal Government for an urgent intervention concerning the demands of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU).
The Deputy Vice-Chancellor, (Administration) of the uUniversity, Prof. Ahmed Galadima, made the appeal in Gusau on Tuesday while addressing the members of the two unions who were on a peaceful protest.
reports that members of the unions in the university joined the SSANU/NASU nationwide protest.
He said that the welfare of their members was very important for the success and progress of the country.
“I hope the Federal Government will look at all the agreements, reached with the national bodies of SSANU and NASU, so as to avoid any industrial action in the University system.
“On behalf of the university management, I feel for you, I wish you success as you express yourselves peacefully over alleged failure to fulfill the agreement reached with your unions.
“I hope at the end of the day, you will get positive responses from the Federal Government, so as not to affect the smooth running of activities at the various institutions,” he said.
Galadima said that the management of the institution was doing everything possible to make sure that industrial harmony was achieved in the university system.
Speaking earlier, the Vice Chairman, SSANU, FUG Gusau branch, Mr Aminu Zakari, said the protest was to draw the attention of the government to issues like payment of the withheld four months salaries of members of the unions by the previous administration in 2022.
“As we all know, the national body of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Unions had mandated all the branches across the country to conduct the nationwide protest.
“This is to express our grievances over the withheld salaries and other pending agreements, reached between the federal government and the two unions.
“I believe that taking the side of paying other sister unions in the universities, by neglecting others, like SSANU and NASU, is not good for the university system,” Zakari said.
Continuing, he said, “SSANU and NASU are very relevant to the university system, because the system cannot operate without us.
“We feel very sad, because some of our members cannot survive, some have died because of hunger and prostration.
“We want the federal government to do something urgent, so as not to allow the university system to collapse.”
reports that during the protest, the members of the two unions in the institution carried placards with different inscriptions. (NAN)