UNIOSUN, OAU workers protest against FG’s failure to implement 2009 pact

Administrative activities were paralysed for hours yesterday at the Enugu campus of the University of Nigeria, Enugu Campus (UNEC), as non-teaching staff of the university embarked on a protest to press home their demands from the Federal Government.
 
The joint protest march, which took the staff around the institution, was led by the chapter Chairmen of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and of the 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”.
 
Briefing newsmen during the protest, NASU chairman, UNEC branch, Eric Eze, said it was in compliance with the directives of SSANU/NASU national leadership to all non-teaching staff in public universities.
 
He said that the peaceful protest followed the national strike of 2019 in which the 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 the 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 Chairman of SSANU, 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 that 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”.
 
National Vice President of SSANU, South-East, Okay Animba, told journalists 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.”

ALSO, staff of the Osun State University (UNIOSUN), Oshogbo, under JAC and those at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, yesterday, held peaceful protests on their campuses in compliance with the directive of the national leadership of SSANU and NASU against the failure of the Federal Government to meet the demands of the unions.

The demands, which include the alleged inequitable disbursement of the N50 billion earned allowances, delays in renegotiating the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreements, non-payment of two months’ outstanding salaries, arrears of 25 and 35 per cent salary increments, and non-remittance of third-party deductions for May and June 2022.
 
SSANU and NASU had earlier issued a seven-day ultimatum to the government on September 15 and extended it by another 14 days, which expired on Monday, October 6; hence the decision to embark on peaceful demonstrations across all universities.
 
Though workers at UNIOSUN commended the university authorities for prioritising their welfare and meeting most of their demands, the JAC, consisting of NASU, SSANU and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) of the Osun-owned citadel of learning, said it was incumbent on them to embark on the solidarity protest with their colleagues in federal and other universities that are being owed.
 
After their Congress held at the Cooperative Building on the campus, the workers held a peaceful demonstration, calling on the Federal Government to accede to the demands of the unions.
 
Some of the inscriptions on the placards displayed by the unionists read, “No to Unjust Disbursement of N50 billion Earned Allowance. Say No To Discrimination”, “Aluta Continua, Victoria Ascerta! Solidarity Forever”, “2009 Agreement is Long Overdue for Renegotiation”, among others.
 
Addressing journalists after the demonstration, the JAC Chairman of the institution, Dada Kunmi, said the protest was against the Federal Government for failing to meet the demands of the unions.