- Non-academic unions demand payment of four months’ withheld salary and 2009 agreement implementation.
Administrative activities were paralyzed for hours at the Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria (UNEC) on Thursday as non-teaching staff, under the umbrellas of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational Associated Institutions (NASU), embarked on a protest demanding the payment of outstanding allowances and salaries.
The joint protest, which involved staff marching around the institution, was a compliance with directives from the national leadership of SSANU and NASU to all non-teaching staff in public universities.
Key Demands and Alleged Omissions
The protesting staff, bearing placards with inscriptions such as “FGN honour the 2009 agreement now” and “Enough is enough, pay our withheld salary,” voiced several grievances against the Federal Government:
Unpaid Withheld Salaries: The UNEC Chairman of SSANU, Samuel Okoh, noted that the unions are owed two months of salary that was withheld following a 2022 strike. He stated that although the strike was called off based on an agreement, the government has only paid for two months, continuing to withhold the remaining two months as “punishment on the workers”.
Inequitable Earned Allowances: NASU Chairman, UNEC branch, Eric Eze, explained that following a 2019 national strike, the Federal Government disbursed N50 billion in earned allowances to university staff.
However, while the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) received its part, the non-teaching staff unions were not paid, prompting them to call on the Federal Government to “do the right thing by giving us our dues for those omitted”.
Other Allowances: Other demands include the arrears of 25 and 35 percent salary increments, delays in renegotiating the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreements, and non-remittance of third-party deductions for May and June 2022.
The National Vice President of SSANU, South-East, Okay Animba, assured journalists that the protest was peaceful and lawful, stressing that the goal was to “speak truth to power and press for our legitimate demands,” and not to disrupt academic activities.
Similar peaceful protests were also held by staff at the Osun State University (UNIOSUN) and the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, in solidarity with their colleagues who are being owed.
