Laleye Dipo in Minna
The Ibrahim Badamasi Babangida University, Lapai, Niger State has again been shut following a seven-day warning strike declared on Monday by members of the Non-academic Staff Union (NASU).
It is the second time within a month that the institution would be closed as a result of strike by its unions, the first was by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over unpaid earned allowances put at about N500 million.
The state government had last week signed a Memorandum of Understanding with ASUU on how to settle the debt before NASU began its strike. The grouse of NASU is the non-payment of allowances to its members put at about N1.5 billion.
As a result, the academic office, bursary, library and porter’s room were put under lock and key by the union members who were also on patrol around the campus to ensure compliance with the strike.
The strike may also disrupt the convocation activities of the university, expected to commence immediately after the Easter holidays.
The Joint Action Committee Chairman, Malam Mustapha Abdulkhadir said the union was constrained to embark on the strike because “government has turned deaf ears to all our requests
“‎This is the appropriate time to embark on the warning strike as the university’s second convocation ceremony preparation is at its peak, our plan is to disrupt the ‎convocation that is why we have chosen this time so that they will know that every staff of the university is important irrespective of his or her status.”
Abdulkhadir said the union during the national strike advised the state government and the management of IBB University to use the opportunity to address the problem “but they did not do so. If they did I am sure we will not be embarking on this strike.â€
At the time of filing in this report, the Vice-Chancellor, Professor Nasir Maiturari could not be reached for comments on the issue.
