Police restrict NASU, SSANU protesters to Unity Fountain in Abuja

Police on Thursday restricted the non-teaching staff unions in the universities from carrying out a planned streets protest in Abuja.

The unions that comprise the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) are protesting their members’ withheld salaries and other sundry issues.

The protesters were restricted to the Unity Fountain where they had gathered to commence movement to the Ministries of Education, Labour and Employment to submit their letters to the ministers.

The Commissioner of Police in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Mr. Beneth Igwe, who was personally present at the rally, told the unions leaders that the protest was restricted to the Unity Fountain for security reasons.

The Commissioner, however, refused to speak with journalists who were on ground to cover the protest.

The unions had on July 7 mandated all branches to hold a one-day nationwide protest on July 9 and a national protest in Abuja on Thursday (today) to express their grievances over the withheld salaries and other pending issues.

READ ALSO: NASU, SSANU protest over four-month withheld salaries

Following the directive, the protesting workers gathered at the Unity Fountain carrying placards with inscriptions such as, “Enough of promises: Pay us our four months withheld salaries; “We need funding, pay us what you owe us,” “Federal Government stop excuses, pay us our earned, it is our right” and “universities are not constituency project,” among others.

The NASU General Secretary, Mr. Peters Adeyemi, who addressed journalists at the Unity Fountain, said the protest was in fulfillment of the commitment reached by the unions’ Joint Action Committee (JAC).

According to him, they had engagement with the security agencies before they came out for the protest.

He said: “They are of the view that we should not even hold this rally at all because they felt that the FCT is insecure.

“We, however, told them that we are going to be very peaceful because we have always been known for that.

”The issues are very straightforward. In fact, we are not supposed to be involved in protests if the government had acted in a manner that will also calm our members.

“But unfortunately, government appears not to have shown sensitivity to issues affecting the non-teaching staff in our universities and international centres. That is why this matter lingered up to this moment.”

Join the conversation

Opinions

Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism

Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.

As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.

If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.

Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.

Donate Now