In a renewed call for justice, members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) on Thursday held a nationwide protest over what they described as decades of unfulfilled promises and government indifference to their welfare.
Organised under the umbrella of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), the protest took place simultaneously across various campuses, including the Yakubu Gowon University, Abuja, where union leaders addressed the press.
Protesters carried placards with bold messages such as “Honour your agreement,” “Pay us our sweat,” and “No more empty promises”—a clear reflection of their growing frustration.
Speaking during the protest, Nurudeen Yusuf, Chairman of SSANU and JAC, said the unions were left with no choice but to take to the streets after years of failed negotiations and unkept agreements.
> “This is the longest labour negotiation in history. The non-academic staff have continued to suffer from government’s insensitivity,” Yusuf lamented.
He recalled that since 2009, several committees—including the Babalakin Committee, Yayale Ahmed Committee, and others—had been set up to address their concerns, yet none had delivered tangible results.
Among the unions’ major grievances are:
The non-payment of two months’ salaries from 2022
Unremitted third-party deductions
Unpaid wage award arrears of 25% to 35%
The lopsided distribution of ₦50 billion in earned allowances
Yusuf criticised the government’s silence despite back-to-back meetings with the Minister of Education on September 19 and October 6, both of which, he said, ended without progress.
> “We have extended our ultimatum twice to allow dialogue, but no meaningful response has come from the government,” he stated.
Dr. Makulu Hasan, President of NASU, echoed similar concerns, describing the treatment of non-teaching university staff as both unfair and unacceptable.
> “Of the ₦50 billion allowances disbursed, only 20 per cent was allocated to NASU and SSANU, and many of our members didn’t get anything at all,” Hasan said.
He called on the federal government to immediately release withheld salaries, clear outstanding wage awards, and respect existing agreements to prevent further unrest.
> “These issues have lingered for too long. We’ve made appeals, issued strike notices, and waited patiently. The government must act now if it wants peace in the university system,” he warned.
With tensions rising and the unions warning of escalated action if their demands remain unmet, the ball is now firmly in the government’s court.
NAN
