The Moses Orshio Adasu University in Makurdi has been hit with an indefinite strike by the Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Associated and Educational Institutions and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities. The strike, declared on Tuesday, is in protest of the non-payment of welfare arrears to members, which has left thousands of staff in financial distress.
According to the unions, the decision to embark on the strike was made after an emergency congress, where members cited the management’s failure to implement the new national minimum wage, the 25/35 per cent salary increase, and payment of arrears. Other demands include the implementation of promotion increments for staff promoted between 2022 and 2024, settlement of gratuities, regular payment of pensions with arrears, and the reinstatement of monthly remittances to the Contributory Pension Scheme.
Comrade Shishi Luper, Chairman of JAC-MOAUM, stated that the strike followed the exhaustion of three separate ultimatums served on the management. He noted that the congress’s goodwill to sustain industrial harmony had been stretched despite the untold hardship suffered by members due to non-fulfilment of staff welfare demands.
The Acting Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Simon Ubwa, and the Registrar, Mr. Barnabas Hemba, attended the meeting to plead for more time, with Ubwa reportedly appealing for a deadline extension till the end of September to conclude efforts to address the issues. However, when the matter was put to a vote, the majority of members opted for an immediate strike.
As a result, the JAC has directed all its members to withdraw their services and remain at home until all demands are met. The strike is likely to affect the normal functioning of the university, with potential consequences for students and academic activities. The university management will need to address the concerns of the unions to resolve the crisis and restore normalcy to the institution.
The strike at Moses Orshio Adasu University is the latest in a series of industrial actions in Nigeria’s education sector, highlighting the ongoing challenges faced by tertiary institutions in the country. With the strike set to continue indefinitely, the university community and stakeholders will be watching closely to see how the situation unfolds and when a resolution can be reached.
