By Milcah Tanimu

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) are slated to receive half of their withheld salaries if President Bola Tinubu greenlights the payment of their salary arrears.

Education Minister Tahir Mamman disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Wednesday.

Mamman clarified that unlike their academic counterparts, the non-academic university staff weren’t on strike for the same duration in 2022. He assured that efforts are underway to address their situation, stating, “the government has been making every effort to find a resolution for them.”

Responding to queries about the delay in payment to NASU and SSANU members, Mamman explained, “No, it hasn’t been approved yet. The decision to pay ASUU for four months was discretionary and made by the President. It doesn’t automatically extend to NASU and SSANU, but the matter is being reviewed.”

He refrained from specifying a timeline for the decision but emphasized ongoing efforts, noting that if approved, non-academic staff members would receive half the payment due to the disparity in strike duration compared to their academic counterparts.

Addressing allegations of discrimination, Mamman asserted, “That cannot be accurate, there is no hierarchy. These individuals operate within the same environment, though in different capacities, all contributing toward a common goal.”

In March, SSANU and NASU staged a one-week warning strike to protest the withholding of their salaries by the Federal Government. They criticized the government for disbursing salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while overlooking the non-academic unions.

In 2022, all unions embarked on an eight-month strike to advocate for improved welfare conditions. Subsequently, then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration enforced a ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against the unions. However, President Tinubu sanctioned the release of four months’ withheld salaries last October.

SSANU and NASU have accused the government of inequity and discrimination, citing the differential treatment between them and their academic counterparts.