Worried by the impact of the ongoing strike by the university workers’ unions, the Education Writers’ Association of Nigeria (EWAN), a body of journalists across print, online and broadcast platforms, has scheduled a “no-holds-barred” forum to engage critical stakeholders including the Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, a professor, among others, to stop the crisis from degenerating.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and other Associated Institutions (NASU) had on Monday commenced a seven-day warning strike to press home a demand for the payment of members’ withheld four months salaries since 2022.
The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) also, during the week, embarked on a warning strike over the same issue.
The development, which disrupted activities across various campuses nationwide, reportedly led to the death of a student at the Federal University of Oye-Ekiti, Ekiti State, for being unable to access the institution’s healthcare centre when he was ill.
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EWAN said the Presidents of both SSANU and NAAT, Muhammed Ibrahim, and Ibeji Nwokema, respectively, have confirmed their participation in the virtual programme.
The association said the forum, which will take place via Zoom, is themed: “Withheld Salaries Versus Labour Crises: The Way Forward,” and scheduled to hold between 4p.m. and 5:30 p.m. on Sunday, 24 March.
Why EWAN’s intervention?
According to the chairperson of the planning committee, Elizabeth Osayande, EWAN’s intervention became necessary towards gaining firsthand knowledge on the matter and reporting the issues fairly.
Mrs Osayande said what Nigeria witnessed during the prolonged industrial actions by the university workers’ unions in 2022 was not palatable and that “such an experience should not be allowed to repeat itself again.”
She said: “As a body of journalists, we have a responsibility not just to report but to report fairly and possibly create avenues for stakeholders to engage and offer the public opportunities to intervene before matters degenerate.
“Shutting down the universities for about eight months in 2022 caused a major setback for the nation’s university education, and we cannot fold our arms to allow another round of indefinite industrial action to jeopardise the future of our country. Like every other person, journalists also have a role to play.”
Backstory
The Nigerian government under the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari withheld the salaries of university workers during an industrial action that lasted eight months in 2022.
SSANU, NASU, NAAT and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) took part in the industrial action.
But President Bola Tinubu in October directed the payment of four of the eight months withheld salaries for ASUU members, keeping mum as to the fate of the other non-teaching staff of the universities whose salaries were also withheld.
The unions, therefore, declared a one-week strike that crippled activities across Nigerian universities from Monday.
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