The National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has asked the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to hold off on strike due to the delayed payment of lecturers’ salaries.
The appeal was made in a statement by NANS’s National Vice President for Inter-Campus and Gender Affairs, Felicia Akinbodunse, while speaking to reporters in Abuja on Tuesday.
Akinbodunse pointed out that a strike by ASUU at this time could disrupt the stable academic schedule that universities have had for the past two years.
ASUU announced on Monday that it has directed all its branches across the country to stop work because of the delay in paying salaries.
They stated that according to their rules, if salaries are delayed by more than three days, members should strike until they are paid.
As of now, two federal universities, the University of Jos and the University of Abuja, have already begun their strike in line with ASUU’s directive.
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ASUU President, Prof. Chris Piwuna, confirmed this decision, explaining that the branches were following the national union’s resolution on salary issues.
In her appeal, Akinbodunse urged ASUU to reconsider the strike and instead work with the federal government to solve the salary delay issue.
She emphasized that students always suffer the consequences when ASUU goes on strike.
She mentioned that under President Bola Tinubu’s administration, ASUU strikes have significantly reduced, allowing students to enjoy more uninterrupted academic sessions.
She believes that dialogue with the federal government could resolve the salary delays without the need for a strike.
Akinbodunse also highlighted that parents and students are facing tough economic times and cannot afford any disruptions to their education.
She called on ASUU to be understanding and asked the government to take swift action to ensure university lecturers are paid on time and to find a permanent solution to this issue.
