Non-academic University Staff Slam FG Over Unpaid Salaries

Non-academic university staff demand nearly six months of unpaid salaries, highlighting injustice as academic staff received part of theirs.
Unions SSANU, NAAT, and NASU warn of potential industrial action due to government’s broken promises.
Union leaders criticize delayed government response and call for immediate payment to ensure fair treatment for all staff.

EKO HOT BLOG reports that non-academic staff in the nation’s universities have voiced their frustration with the President Bola Tinubu-led government, stating they are being pushed to the wall. This follows the government’s refusal to pay their nearly six months’ withheld salaries.

The workers noted that their counterparts in academic staff unions have already received part of their withheld salaries.

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The workers, represented by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU), argue that the government’s actions are unjust and threaten the stability of industrial harmony in the university system.

Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, National President of SSANU, expressed his union’s frustration to Vanguard, saying, “It is sheer injustice that a section has been answered and the other section being taken for a ride. We have had enough of this nonsense. They paid the academic staff over three months ago and they keep promising us. My members are already fed up with this endless promissory note that has failed to materialize.”

Ibrahim continued, “We are tired of the endless promises by the Minister of Education. We only see him on television, making one promise after another. We are writing a protest letter to the government, and after the Sallah break, we will deliver the letter to the minister. As for our union, we can no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the system. Enough is enough.”

The non-academic staff are demanding immediate action from the government to address their grievances and ensure fair treatment across all university staff.

On his part, the National President of NAAT, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, said his union waited for the promise by the National Assembly to wade into the matter.

“The House of Representatives told us they would intervene in the matter. At a point in time, we would have taken some drastic steps, but the lawmakers said we should give them some time to wade in. They said they were on recess, and after they resumed, they would do the needful. However, what we later got to know is that they passed a resolution on the matter.

“We have gotten to the stage where some drastic steps have to be taken. We will soon convene a meeting of the National Executive Committee of the association and then we know what to do next. It is unacceptable that some workers went on strike, a section was paid their withheld salaries, while the other was left in the lurch,” he said.

The National Secretary of NASU, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, expressed disgust that the government would still be playing that type of game among workers in its employ.

“It is very unfair and we have exercised enough patience, but we are running out of it. The President gave an order regarding paying the salaries last October and eight months later, nothing has been done. What is baffling is that academic staff were paid part of their salaries, while non-academic staff were left out. The university system cannot run alone on the wing of academic staff, a bird does not fly with one wing,” he said.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu last October ordered that the salaries be paid.