Non-academic staff in Nigerian universities have issued a strong message to President Bola Tinubu’s administration, expressing deep frustration over the government’s failure to pay nearly six months of withheld salaries. This discontent arises as their academic counterparts have already received partial payments of their own withheld salaries, a disparity seen as a grave injustice by the affected workers.
Represented by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions (NASU), the workers warn that industrial harmony in the university system can no longer be guaranteed. SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, decried the government’s unfulfilled promises and warned of impending actions post-Sallah break.
NAAT President, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, and NASU National Secretary, Comrade Peters Adeyemi, echoed these sentiments, highlighting the repeated unkept assurances from both the government and the National Assembly. They stress the urgency of addressing this inequity to prevent further disruptions in the university system, emphasizing that the smooth operation of universities relies on the contribution of both academic and non-academic staff.