Non-teaching staff at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), staged a one-day protest on Thursday, demanding the Federal Government honor outstanding agreements and release withheld salaries. They warned that failure to meet their demands could trigger an indefinite nationwide strike, potentially crippling administrative and academic activities in public universities.
The protest, led by Comrade Linus Akata, Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), and Comrade William Amu, Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), drew over 500 participants. Staff members marched across campus with placards bearing messages such as: “FGN honor the 2009 agreement now,” “Enough is enough, pay our withheld salaries,” and “SSANU/NASU united, we demand what is our right.”
Speaking to journalists, Akata and Amu explained that the demonstration followed a directive from the national Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU, which called for a one-day protest as a final warning to the government.
“The national JAC directed all branches across the country to stage this protest on Thursday as a last warning,” said one of the protesters. “We thank UNN staff for participating and urge them to stay prepared for a nationwide strike if the government fails to act.”
Union leaders listed key grievances, including the Federal Government’s failure to honor the 2009 agreement, unauthorized deductions from salaries, and the continued withholding of salaries for staff involved in the 2022 industrial action.
“Parents and Nigerians at large should press the government to address our demands,” a protester warned. “If the strike begins, it will be total, affecting all public universities. We can no longer sustain our families while the government owes us.”
