The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) at the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education (EAUED), Oyo, has accused the Federal Government of insincerity and warned of an indefinite strike if their five key demands are not urgently met.
The warning came after a press conference held on the university campus following a massive one-day nationwide protest on Thursday, October 9, which brought all non-academic activities to a halt. The protest was jointly led by Comrade Ayotunde James Fabeku, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), EAUED branch, and Comrade Adetunji Michael Adesina, Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), EAUED branch.
Speaking to journalists during the demonstration, Adesina accused the Federal Government of “bad faith” and “habitual dishonesty” in dealing with the unions, citing repeated breaches of agreements previously signed with SSANU and NASU. He said the government’s “chronic neglect” of non-teaching university workers had deepened discontent and low morale across campuses.
Among the unions’ key grievances are the government’s failure to pay two months of withheld salaries and the non-payment of 25% and 35% salary arrears arising from earlier approved wage increments. The unions also denounced the inequitable distribution of the ₦50 billion Earned Allowances, delays in renegotiating the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreements, and non-remittance of third-party deductions – funds withheld from staff salaries for cooperatives and welfare schemes in May and June 2022.
Comrade Fabeku, in his remarks, underscored the crucial role of non-teaching personnel in the university system.
“We are the ones who wheel the engine of the university. Without NASU and SSANU, there is no university system,” he said.
He decried the worsening economic hardship facing staff and warned that the Federal Government must stop treating non-academic workers as “second-class citizens.”
The protest, which featured a large procession across the main campus, saw hundreds of staff chanting slogans such as “Pay Our Two Months Outstanding Salaries Now!” and “FG Stop Discriminatory Payment of Earned Allowances!” Administrative and technical operations were completely shut down throughout the day, leaving the campus tense and deserted.
Union leaders described the demonstration as a final warning to the authorities, emphasizing that unless the government shows genuine commitment to resolving the issues, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) – comprising SSANU and NASU – would escalate the action into an indefinite strike.
They also called on the Federal Government to empower the Yayale-Ahmed Committee to urgently develop a new framework for improved welfare for all non-teaching university workers.
The unions vowed to sustain pressure until their demands are met, insisting that the ongoing standoff is not just about salaries but about “respect, fairness, and the dignity of labour.”