Unless the government intervenes at the last minute, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions will organise mass protest in Abuja today (Thursday).
The protest, scheduled to commence at 8 am at the Unity Fountain in Abuja, will feature a procession of union members marching to the office of the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, where they will convene to express their grievances and demands.
The unions are pressing for the release of their outstanding salaries, totaling four months’ worth, which were withheld as a result of their participation in the 2022 industrial action.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities, SSANU and NASU embarked on a long strike in 2022, While the ASUU strike lasted eight months, SSANU and NASU had a four-month strike.
Following the directive of President Bola Tinubu that the affected staff be paid four-month salaries, SSANU and NASU members claimed the wages were not paid, while ASUU members were paid.
The NASU and SSANU unions, to press home their demands, instructed their members to stage a nationwide protest on July 9 across all state chapters, with a follow-up national protest scheduled for Abuja today, as stated in a circular addressed to all branch chairmen of the respective unions.
The joint circular was signed by the General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Peters Adeyemi, and the National President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Mohammed Ibrahim.
The protest comes after the expiration of a two-week ultimatum issued in June, during which the unions demanded that the Federal Government address their outstanding issues.
