The Minister of State for Education, Tanko Sununu, has formally requested the Ministry of Finance to disburse four months’ worth of withheld salaries to university workers under the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU).
This request follows President Bola Tinubu’s approval during a Federal Executive Council meeting on July 10, 2024, where he authorized the payment of four months’ salary from the eight months initially withheld after university workers went on an eight-month strike in 2022.
The previous administration, led by ex-President Muhammadu Buhari, had enforced a “no work, no pay” policy, affecting both non-academic and academic staff, including those represented by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
While ASUU members have already received their payments, SSANU and NASU members are still awaiting their four-month salary payments. Despite a letter from Sununu to the Ministry of Finance on July 11, 2024, requesting the implementation of the presidential waiver, the funds have not yet been released.
This delay has caused significant frustration among SSANU and NASU members, who are urging the Federal Government to ensure they receive the same treatment as their academic counterparts. Six weeks after the approval, the workers continue to wait for their funds, with the Ministry of Finance yet to act on the President’s directive.
