NASU” />
By Johnbosco Agbakwuru
ABUJA – On Thursday, the Joint Action Committee (JAC), representing the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) alongside the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), organized a nationwide demonstration to spotlight persistent grievances affecting non-teaching personnel in Nigerian universities.
The unions declared that this mass protest was a response to years of overlooked demands and the government’s ongoing disregard for the welfare of university staff across various institutions and inter-university centers.
Addressing reporters at the Yakubu Gowon University protest site in Abuja, Comrade Nurudeen Yusuf, SSANU Chairman and head of JAC, described the event as a revitalized effort to secure justice and equitable treatment within the university framework after protracted stalled negotiations.
He highlighted that agreements reached as far back as 2009 remain unimplemented, despite numerous talks and committees-including those chaired by notable figures such as Babalakin and Yayale Ahmed-failing to deliver concrete results.
“This stands as the most prolonged labor negotiation in our history. Non-academic staff continue to suffer from governmental neglect,” Yusuf asserted.
Among the principal issues raised were the inequitable distribution of ₦50 billion in earned allowances, outstanding salaries for two months dating back to 2022, failure to remit third-party deductions, and unpaid arrears on wage increments ranging from 25 to 35 percent.
Yusuf further revealed that meetings held with the Minister of Education on September 19 and October 6 yielded no meaningful progress, which compelled the unions to escalate their actions to a nationwide protest.
“We granted the government two extensions on our ultimatum to facilitate dialogue, yet their response has been inadequate,” he explained.
Dr. Makulu Hasan, President of NASU, reiterated these frustrations, condemning the prolonged neglect despite multiple strike threats and calls for constructive engagement.
He criticized the disproportionate allocation of the ₦50 billion allowances, pointing out that SSANU and NASU members received only 20 percent, with some workers completely excluded from the disbursement.
Hasan called for the immediate release of withheld salaries and wage awards, urging the government to fulfill its promises to ensure fairness and restore harmony within the university system.
Demonstrators carried placards bearing slogans such as “Fulfill Your Agreements,” “Release Our Earned Salaries,” and “Stop Making Empty Promises.”