From Tony John, Port Harcourt
The University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) chapters of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) have convened a congress meeting over a planned nationwide strike.
As at the time of this report, SSANU members had started arriving at the Ebitimi Banigo Hall (close to the school’s senate building) venue of the meeting.
When Daily Sun met with SSANU Chairman Bernard Chukwu to find out the position of the group, he declined detailed comment, simply saying that the outcome of Monday’s congress would determine their position on the strike.
Two prominent members of SSANU who asked to remain anonymous told our reporter that not commencing the strike on Tuesday as directed by union’s national leadership does not mean that the UNIPORT chapter has demonstrated disobedience.
The officers said the group called for the meeting to inform members of the directive issued by the national body to allow them to know why the strike was called for.
They also noted that only staffers from levels 12 have been on duty, adding that workers below level 12 have not resumed work.
According to them, the outcome of the congress would determine whether SSANUUNIPORT chapter would start on Wednesday, January 13.
They maintained that any further information about the planned strike outside the resolution that would be taken at the meeting would be inconsequential to the decision of the congress.