By Ikenna Nwokedi 

The Joint Action Committee of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) on Tuesday, 9th July 2024 protested over poor condition of service and ill treatment of University non-teaching staff.

The leaders of the Unions led by Comrade Njideka Nwangwu and Comrade Chigozie Ikegulu led a peaceful protest on the streets of the campus which kicked off by 10.30am from the Multipurpose Hall (MPH) traversing through the two entrance gates of the institution to the  University's administrative block and concluding at the MPH.

The protesters displayed placards bearing various messages such as: "FG review the 2009 FG/SSANU/NASU agreement", "FG Stop Treating us Unjustly", "FG pay us N250,000 Minimum Wage", "Reduce the High Electricity Tariff the Masses are Suffering" and "FG don't set Universities on Fire." They highlighted unresolved issues such as "Unpaid four months Arrears of Salaries", "Backlog of Earned Allowances of Members" and "Review of the 2019 FG/SSANU/NASU Agreement."

In an interview with Journalists, SSANU UNIZIK Chairperson, Comrade Njideka Nwangwu said the peaceful protest embarked by both unions is to press home their demands and tell the Federal Government that the Nigerian workers are no longer happy over the withheld salaries of the lawful industrial action they embarked on in 2022 despite approvals for the payment of the four unions of the University in 2023.

Comrade Nwangwu highlighted other issues such as insecurity in the land, Renegotiation of the 2009 FG/SSANU/NASU agreement which is long overdue and the request of N250,000 minimum wage for Nigerian workers as against N62,000 being offered by FG as well as the 2003 Earned Allowances which is yet to be paid.

She said: "The protest today is to take our request to the Federal Government and tell FG that Nigerian workers are no longer happy over our withheld salaries of the strike we embarked on in 2022 despite approvals for the payment in 2023.

"We also want to highlight other issues such as renegotiation of the 2009 agreement with Federal Government which is long overdue and we call on FG to do the needful. Our request of N250,000 minimum wage should be addressed urgently to address the current realities while we also call on FG to ensure the payment of our Earned Allowances," Nwangwu said.

On his part, NASU UNIZIK Chairperson, Comrade Chigozie Ikegulu informed that both unions have explicitly spelt out their requests and hitherto had a sensitization meeting with their members about the protest with a rally scheduled for 18th July 2024 in Abuja if FG fails to yield to the Union's demands. Ikegulu further disclosed that the various unions will await further directives from their headquarters which will be thoroughly complied with towards the noble course.

"Our requests are well spelt out as we have before now had a meeting with our members to sensitize them about the protest and we hope that the Federal Government will address our demands urgently to avert the looming industrial action. The Union at the national level will also have a rally holding on 18th of July 2024 in Abuja after which we will await further directives that will be thoroughly complied with towards our demands," Ikegulu said.

Comrade Ikegulu also stated that non-teaching staff members are the live wire of universities in administration, right from the point of admission to graduation and play a very sensitive role in University operations. The Union leader called on the government to do the needful to avert the shut down of the Ivory Towers.