There is a glimmer of hope for members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) as they may receive half of their withheld salaries, pending approval from President Bola Tinubu.
The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, revealed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Despite the delay in approving the payment, Mamman assured that the government was actively working towards resolving the issue.
He clarified that the decision to compensate academic staff was discretionary and does not automatically extend to non-academic staff.
According to Mamman, the non-academic staff members of universities were not on strike for the same period in 2022 as their academic counterparts.
He said the government has been “doing everything possible to get relief for them.”
SSANU and NASU had accused the Federal Government of unfair treatment and discrimination by failing to pay them like their academic counterparts.
Recall that in 2022, all university unions embarked on an eight-month strike, advocating for improved welfare conditions.
While former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration implemented a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy, President Tinubu approved the release of four months of the withheld salaries last October, although only for the academic staff.
Addressing allegations of discrimination, Mamman emphasised the unity of purpose among university staff, dismissing any intentional exclusion but rather attributing it to initial communication challenges.
“There is a court judgement on ‘no work, no pay.’ ASUU getting four months’ pay was actually a discretion and decision on the part of the President. So, it doesn’t automatically transfer (to NASU and SSANU) but the matter is under consideration.”
“I don’t think it is safe to put a time on it but it’s safer to say that we are on it and we are pushing.
“And in any case, the non-academic staff, were not on strike for the same period with the academic staff — about four months or so. So, if they are getting payment, it is going to be half of that (payment), if the President will follow his precedent with the academic staff,” the minister emphasised.
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