SSANU, NASU Strike Cripples Activities In UNIPORT

As the nationwide strike embarked upon by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) members of the University of Port Harcourt enters its 9th day, activities at the university have been completely paralysed.
A visit to the three main campuses of the university, namely Choba Park, Abuja and Delta Park confirmed that the entire university system has been shut down.
In a chat with the Chairman of SSANU, who doubles as the Chairman, Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU, UNIPORT, Comrade Bernard Chukwu, he said activities in the university would remain shut until the Federal Government does the needful by addressing the grievances of the unions.
He enumerated some of the contending issues to include, Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), minimum wage arrears, renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, among others.
“The strike has been a wonderful experience. Our members fully complied with the directive of our national secretariat. The compliance level here in UNIPORT is above 80 per cent. For instance, the matriculation of newly admitted students billed for February 16, 2021 has been postponed.
“Again, election of some principal officers scheduled within this period has also been suspended. It is not that we like the development, but because of a government that refused to do the right thing: a government that will enter into agreement with labour unions and refuse to honour it.
“How do you look at an agreement of 2009 which the Federal Government entered into with SSANU and NASU still being debated, today, over 11 years after? This is the worst government in Nigeria as far as labour issues are concerned,” Chukwu said.
The chairman said he was sceptical that any agreement reached with the Federal Government now that SSANU and NASU were talking with them may not also be implemented.
“Now that the Federal Government is talking with SSANU and NASU national in Abuja, if agreement is reached, do you think they will implement it?” Chukwu asked rhetorically.
Chukwu said his advice for the Federal Government was to agree on one thing, and do that one, instead of agreeing on everything and do nothing.
He referred to the 2009 agreement that was still begging for attention after 11 years, as a case study.
“We don’t have confidence that the agreement to be reached will be implemented. Government should be proactive in dealing with labour issues, they must not wait until there is strike before they act on agreements,” the chairman said.