SSANU and NASU Stage Peaceful Protest at ABU, Demanding Payment of Withheld Salaries

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), Ahmadu Be...

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), Ahmadu Bello University (ABU) Zaria chapter, held a peaceful protest on Tuesday as part of a warning strike embarked on by the unions.

Our correspondent, Idris Umar, who monitored the peaceful protest at the Samaru Campus of the University on Tuesday in Zaria, observed that members of the union held placards with inscriptions such as “Wayoo No Good!”, “JAC Demands the immediate payment of withheld salaries,” etc.

Other placards had inscriptions: “FG, please do the needful and pay us our outstanding four months’ salaries!” and “Pay us our 4 months' salaries!”

It was also observed that most of the entrances to the university were locked while academic and social activities were halted. Comrade Mohammed Yunusa, chairman of SSANU, ABU chapter, while briefing newsmen, urged the government to hasten the payment of four months’ withheld salaries and other demands of the two unions to avoid the complete collapse of public universities.

“In February, our counterparts in the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) were paid their withheld salaries, leaving out other workers.

“Our unions protested over such payments to ASUU alone, issued a letter of demand to the government, and up till this moment, there has been no response from the federal government.

“SSANU viewed this as an injustice and a divide and rule strategy in the university system; a university cannot effectively function without the inputs of non-teaching staff.”

Comrade Yunusa said workers were at home because of the strike, adding that academic and social services at the institution had been grounded.

He explained that all supplies, including power and water, had ceased, internet services and servers for academic examinations were shut down; libraries, laboratories, and lecture halls were all locked on both campuses of ABU.