Security Men Clash With Protesting SSANU,NASU Members at Unity Fountain Abuja

Olufemi Orunsola

Security men earlier today clashed with members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) who gathered at the Unity Fountain Abuja, protesting the non payment of their four-month salaries.

OPEN TELEVISION Naija gathered that the protest is being led by the President of SSANU, Mohammed Aruna Ibrahim and General Secretary of NASU, Comrade Peters Adeyemi.

The two unions are aggrieved that, despite a directive by the President that the four-month arrears be paid, only members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) got paid, leaving out SSANU and NASU members.

What may be aptly described as a catalyst for a violent clash between the protesting staff of tertiary institutions and the security personnel however ensued when stern looking security personnel prevented the protesters from leaving the convergence point, to possibly bar them from going to the Federal Ministries of Education, Labour and Employment as planned by the unionists.

True to their Aluta continua mantra, the protesting unionists started chanting relevant Aluta songs in further protest against the action of the security personnel at the venue.

The two unions are currently protesting over their four-month withheld salaries. 

The protest, which commenced today, is billed to take place simultaneously at universities all over the country.

OPEN TELEVISION Naija reports that the union members converged on the popular Unity Fountain, Abuja as early as 7.3 am from where they would march on the Federal Ministries of Education and Labour and Employment.

General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi said letters would be presented to both ministries. 

The workers are asking the Federal Government to pay “us what you owe us.”

The unions said meetings with the government over the withheld salaries have not yielded positive results. 

It would be recalled that former Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige invoked the ‘No work, no pay’ policy when the four university based unions embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022.

Salaries of members of the university-based unions who participated in the strike were thereafter withheld by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari. 

However, President Bola Tinubu in October 2023 granted amnesty to the university workers and directed that their four months of the withheld salaries be paid to them.

More details from OPEN TELEVISION Naija about this development.