On Tuesday, July 10, 2024, hundreds of non-teaching staff at the University of Ibadan staged a peaceful protest against the federal government’s failure to pay their entitlements.
The demonstration was led by Comrade Oluwafemi Michael Ogunlade of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) and Abiodun Rasaq Omisore of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU).
The protest began at the main entrance of the university, where the workers blocked the busy UI-Sango Road for nearly an hour, causing significant traffic disruptions.
The protesters carried various placards with messages such as “Federal Government should honor 2009 agreement made with the Union,” “Nigeria workers are hungry,” and “JAC demands immediate release of earned allowances from 2013 till date.”
Other placards expressed frustration with the government’s promises, with messages like “Tinubu once promised us cassava but now Garri is no longer available” and “SSANU demands 4 months withheld salary.”
During the protest, Ogunlade addressed the crowd, explaining that the grievances of the non-teaching staff were centered on the government’s failure to fulfill the agreements made with the unions.
He highlighted that while the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) received payment for their strike actions, the non-teaching staff of NASU and SSANU were left unpaid despite their own strike being resolved earlier.
Ogunlade emphasized that the non-teaching staff had suspended their strike before ASUU, with their strike lasting four months compared to ASUU’s eight-month strike.
He criticized the government for its unequal treatment of the different university staff unions and declared that if their demands are not met, they will organize a national protest in Abuja on July 18, 2024.
The protest was a visible demonstration of the workers’ frustration and their call for the government to address the issues of unpaid entitlements and honor past agreements with the unions.
