Many universities operating without electricity in last 3 months –SSANU

The leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) on Wednesday revealed that many public universities in Nigeria have been operating in the last three months without electricity to carry out research and do major academic works. It also threatened that a decisive action would be taken against the state governments and other […]

The leadership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) on Wednesday revealed that many public universities in Nigeria have been operating in the last three months without electricity to carry out research and do major academic works.

It also threatened that a decisive action would be taken against the state governments and other employers of labour who have failed to implement the new national minimum wage of N70,000 and payment of consequential adjustment by the end of the first quarter of 2025.

President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, disclosed these to journalists at its national secretariat in Abuja on the sidelines of the association’s national leadership retreat organised for the union’s National Administrative Committee (NAC) members.

Ibrahim said till now, the federal government and many state governments had not implemented N70,000 minimum wage in the public universities, particularly for members of SSANU whom he said are mostly professionals such as accountants, lawyers, engineers, medical workers, among others.

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Fielding questions from journalists over the alleged demand of N8 million from each of the vice chancellors of the federal universities for budget approval by members of the National Assembly, the union leader said if the allegation turned out to be true, labour will ‘fight’ the lawmakers.

“However, if it is true, then it is most unfortunate, because universities today, as they stand in Nigeria, all our public universities, I can tell you without fear of any contradiction, no university has enough resources to pay for its electricity bill.

“No university, no public university today in Nigeria, and there are so many universities that are even operating in the last three months without electricity. So, where are they going to get the N8 million that they will be giving to the National Assembly members?

“So, if our leaders, who we have been elected to go to the National Assembly and formulate laws and ensure that the system is not shortchanged are the ones asking for this money, then definitely our unions will also look at this very passionately as we resume this year.

“And I’m telling you, the National Assembly is not too big for us to fight. We will fight them, because all of them belong to our constituencies and we will chase them out without further delay, we will only work with progressives,” SSANU President said.