ILLORIN (Sundiata Scholar) – A Members of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), University of Ilorin chapter, on Tuesday, staged a protest over non-payment of their withheld salaries. reports that the protest was in response to the directive of the national leadership of the two unions that nationwide protests be held over their withheld four months salary and other matters.
reports that during the protest, the workers in the institution claimed that they could no longer afford food, transportation and other basic needs.
The protesting workers were seen carrying placards with various inscriptions, such as: “Pay our four months withheld salaries”, “We demand total freedom from IPPIS” and “Release our N50bn earned allowance”, among others.
Speaking on the sidelines of the protest, the NASU Chairman, Unilorin chapter, Mr Zubair Ibrahim, said that their agitation was in respect of the outstanding salary arrears owed the members.“We are hungry and we cannot die in silence. Members are finding it difficult to survive,” Ibrahim said.
According to him, the Federal Government has failed to address the demands of the unions which occasioned their warning strike some months back.Ibrahim stated that after series of appeals to the federal government to pay their withheld four months salaries had not yielded any result.
He explained further that NASU and SSANU had earlier given the federal government a two-week ultimatum to meet their demands or risk the shutting down of university campuses nationwide.
The NASU chairman demanded for immediate payment of the four months withheld salaries to members as well as payment of the 25 per cent allowance.
He recalled that the unions had reached an agreement with the federal government on payment of N50bn earned allowance, adding that nothing was forthcoming.
Ibrahim also said that members rejected the payment of their salaries through IPPIS, claiming that its method was not consistent.
Also speaking, the SSANU Chairman in the institution, Mr Olushola Falowo, lamented that government was not sensitive to the plights of the workers.
He urged the government to cut down the cost of governance and factor in the interest of workers.In his own remarks,
the National Financial Secretary of SSANU, Alhaji Akanbi Jimoh, called on government to give priority to the resolution of the new minimum wage, which he described as the constitutional right of Nigerian workers. (NAN)