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SSANU, NASU Join Strike To Cripple Activities In Varsities
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions (NASU) have joined other university-based unions to cripple both academic and administrative activities in Nigeria public universities.
The two unions have directed their branches across the country to embark on a two-week warning strike from today.
This is as the unions have said that they are ready to present to the Federal Government its preferred mode of payment, the University Peculiar Personnel & Payroll System (U3PS), which they said would address all the challenges unions were facing in the payment of their salaries.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had on February 14, commenced a four-week warning strike as a result of the alleged inability of the Federal Government to address their demands.
At the end of the four weeks, the strike was extended to another eight weeks, while the National Association of Academic Technologists had last week commenced on its own two-weeks warning strike.
Arising from their meeting in Abuja, JAC in a memo dated March 25, 2022, addressed to the leadership of the unions’ branches nationwide directed them to ensure total compliance to the directive.
The memo, which was signed by SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, was entitled, “Commencement of Two-Week Warning Strike.”
The memo read: “In view of the nonchalant attitude of the government to our demands, this is to direct our members in all universities and inter-university centres throughout the country to commence a two-week strike by midnight of Sunday, March 27, 2022, in the first instance as earlier conveyed to the Federal Government in our letter.
“Please note that the two-week warning strike should be comprehensive and total as no concession should be given under any guise.
“Your strict compliance and adherence to this directive are mandatory for all branches of NASU and SSANU in the universities and inter-university centres.”
JAC had in a letter addressed to the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, who is the Conciliator-in-Chief, dated March 16, 2022, accused the government of insincerity in its implementation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) and Memorandum of Action (MoA), reached with the government in October, 2020, and February, 2021, respectively.
The letter, signed by Ibrahim and Adeyemi had given the Federal Government up till March 27 to address its demands or face an initial two-week strike.
The JAC of the two non-teaching staff in the letter titled: “Looming Industrial Action and Notice of Warning Strike”, recalled the contents of the MoU and MoA reached with the Federal Government on October 20, 2020 and February 25, 2021, respectively, and concluded that the Federal Government has not been sincere with the implementation of the agreements
The unions further recalled the letter to the government on the same subject matter dated March 1, 2022, regretting that nothing came out of it despite the fact that JAC gave a 21-day ultimatum for the grievances of her members to the addressed.
JAC had given two weeks ultimatum to the government to implement the said demands, while it issued ‘red alerts’ to its members, asking them to prepare for a possible showdown with the government.
Meanwhile, the two unions have said that they were ready to present their preferred mode of payment, the University Peculiar Personnel & Payroll System (U3PS), which they said would address all the challenges unions were passing through in the payment of their salaries.
The U3PS, according to Ibrahim, was a multitenant system that accommodates the peculiarities in the Nigerian university system.
“The system handles all employees’ financial records in a hassle-free, automated fashion. This includes employees’ salaries, bonuses, deductions, net pay, generation of pay advice and other financial reports using accounting best practices ices.
“U3PS seek to essentially automate those micro administrative tasks performed by accountant general office and bursars of federal institutions, thereby giving the office the mental bandwidth to focus on the macro.
“Some of the security features include but are not limited to One-Time Password (OTP) via Google authenticator, BVN verification among others,” he explained.
Chief of the Air Staff (CAS), Air Marshal Hasan Abubakar, had lauded the courage and commitment of troops of the Nigerian Air Force (NAF) to the ongoing counter-insurgency operations in North East Nigeria.
Abubakar gave the commendation during a morale-boosting visit to the Air Component of Operation HADIN KAI in Maiduguri, Borno.
This is contained in a statement by the Director, Public Relations and Information, NAF, Air Commodore Ehimen Ejodame, yesterday, in Abuja.
The CAS said their sacrifices were etched in the history of the nation, and in the hearts of millions of Nigerians who sleep safer because of the troops’ vigilance.
He emphasised that their bravery and resilience in the face of adversity have not gone unnoticed, saying his visit underscored the vital role airpower plays in neutralising threats and protecting communities.
Abubakar pledged continued investment in cutting-edge technology to empower frontline units.
According to him, the NAF remains steadfast in its mission, guided by leadership, strengthened by unity, and driven by the selfless service of its personnel.
The visit comes at a critical moment, reinforcing the importance of public support for military operations and spotlighting the human element at the heart of national defence.
Nigeria’s soft drinks and beverage market continues to show strong growth potential, making it the leading consumer of soft drinks in Sub-Saharan Africa, according to the German Mechanical Engineering Industry Association.
A statement by the VDMA disclosed during a press conference held in Lagos ahead of drinktec 2025, that Nigeria consumed over 53 billion litres of soft drinks in 2024, placing it well ahead of other African countries such as Ghana and South Africa.
Despite challenges such as inflation and a weakening naira, Nigeria’s growing population, rising urbanisation, and expanding middle class are key factors driving demand in the beverage sector.
Bottled water led the segment with 48.7 billion litres sold in 2024, a figure projected to rise by 27% to 62 billion litres by 2028.
Carbonated soft drinks followed with 3.4 billion litres, expected to reach 4.4 billion litres by 2028, while energy drinks are forecasted to grow by 30% over the same period. Juices, though relatively small, are also on an upward trajectory.
“The Nigerian beverage market is expanding quickly due to increasing accessibility and affordability,” VDMA stated, citing data from Euromonitor International.
Set to take place in Munich from 15 to 19 September 2025, drinktec is the world’s leading trade fair for the beverage and liquid food industry.
VDMA, a key exhibitor and technical partner for the event, revealed that Nigerian participation is expected to be strong, especially as the country anticipates economic recovery.
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, has condemned the recent ban placed on a song by Nigerian musician, Eedris Abdulkareem, describing the development as a return to the culture of censorship and a threat to the right to free expression.
Abdulkareem had waxed a song titled “Tell Your Papa” which criticized President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
In a statement issued from New York University, Abu Dhabi, yesterday, Soyinka criticised the action and its wider implications, saying it echoed past attempts to stifle artistic and socio-political commentary in Nigeria.
“Courtesy of an artist operating in a different genre – the cartoon – who sent me his recent graphic comment on the event, I learnt recently of a return to the culture of censorship with the banning of the product of a music artist, Eedris Abdulkareem,” Soyinka said in the piece posted on PM news.
He expressed irony in suggesting that the ban did not go far enough, stating, “It is not only the allegedly offensive record that should be banned – the musician himself should be proscribed. Next, PMAN, or whatever musical association of which Abdulkareem is member, should also go under the hammer.”
Soyinka noted that he had not listened to the banned song but stressed that the issue transcends content and concerns a fundamental democratic principle.
“It cannot be flouted. That, surely is basic. This is why I feel that we should look on the bright side of any picture and thus recommend the Aleshinloye cartoon – and others in allied vein – as an easy-to-apprehend, easy-to-digest summation of the wisdom of attempting to stifle unpalatable works of art or socio-political commentary,” he said.
He also pointed out the irony that censorship often benefits the targeted artist.
The ban is a boost to the artist’s nest egg, thanks to free governmental promotion. Mr. Abdulkareem must be currently warbling his merry way all the way to the bank. I envy him,” he added.
The literary icon warned that such censorship was not only counterproductive but also dangerous to democratic development.
“We have been through this before, over and over again, ad nauseum. We know where it all ends. It is boring, time-wasting, diversionary but most essential of all, subversive of all seizures of the fundamental right of free expression,” Soyinka said.
He warned that the ban creates “a permissive atmosphere of trickle-down power,” where state authorities feel emboldened to clamp down on dissent.
Soyinka’s statement also touched on broader issues of impunity and mob violence in Nigeria, lamenting the recent lynching of 19 youths in Edo State.
“My heart goes out to friends, colleagues and families of victims and traumatised survivors of this senseless slaughter. Our thirst for justice must remain unslaked,” he said.
Referencing the 2022 killing of Deborah Samuel in Sokoto, Soyinka criticised the culture of impunity, saying, “Identified killers were set free to gloat, and paste their photos on the Social Media… in full daylight glare, in the presence of both citizen voyeurs and security forces.”
He called for accountability, warning that “as long as the culture of impunity is given the sheerest strain of legitimacy in any given cause, such gruesome assaults on our common humanity will continue to prevail.”
Soyinka concluded by urging the relevant regulatory body to reverse what he described as a “petulant irrationality,” warning that any government that only tolerates praise-singers “has already commenced a downhill slide into the abyss.”