Administrative activities paralysed for several hours on Thursday at the Enugu campus of then University of Nigeria (UNN) as non-teaching staff of the university embarked on a protest to press home their demands from federal government.

The joint protest match which took the staff round the institution was led by the chapter Chairmen of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and that of Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational Associated Institutions (NASU).

They sang solidarity songs with placards and green leaves with inscriptions such as

“FGN honour the 2009 agreement now”, “Enough is enough, pay our withheld salary”, “SSANU/NASU united, we demand what is our right” .

Others are “FG enough of your empty promises since 2009, “Justice delayed is justice denied”, “We can longer take care of our families because government is owing us”, among others.

Briefing newsmen during the protest, Comrade Eric Eze, NASU chairman, UNEC branch, said it was in compliance with the directives of SSANU/ NASU national leaderships to all non-teaching staff in public universities.

“The national JAC at its meeting held on Monday October 6, directed all branch leadership in universities and inter university centres throughout the country to carry out this one day protest on Thursday as last warning to government.

“Nigerians especially parents should prevail on government to meet demands of SSANU/NASU, because if the nationwide indefinite strike starts it will be total and comprehensive as SSANU/NASU will shutdown public universities in the country”, he said

He said that the peaceful protest followed the national strike of 2019 in which th federal government disbursed N50 billion as earned allowances to university staff, adding that while the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) got their part, members of the unions were not paid.

He said that th non teaching staff were not happy and called on the federal government to ” do the right thing by giving us our dues for those omitted”.

UNEC Chapter Chairman of SSANU Comrade Samuel Okoh, said the two months unpaid salary was the offshoot of the strike embarked upon in 2022 in which the federal government withheld their four months salary.

He said while an agreement was reached that led to the strike being called off, the government paid for two months but has continued to withhold the remaining two months as “punishment on the workers”.

He added that as part of the strike, 25 percent salary arrears also came up, adding that the money is still being withheld by the government even when it appeared in the 2023, 2024 and 2025 budgets.

National Vice President of SSANU, Southeast, Comrade Okay Animba, while addressing journalists stated that the protest was peaceful and lawful, stressing that the aim was not to disrupt academic activities but to “speak truth to power and press for our legitimate demands, assuring that the unions would not be bought off “with promises that are never fulfilled”.

He called on Nigerians for support saying the struggle was not just for th future generation but for quality education in the country.