Sultan Rabiu
Members of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday, demanding the release of their withheld salaries and arrears of allowances from the Federal Government.
The protesters, carrying placards with various messages, gathered on campus to express their frustration, vowing to continue their demonstrations until their entitlements are paid.
The OAU NAAT chairman, Matthew Oluwaniyi, represented by Vice Chairman Aminu Rotimi, addressed journalists after the protest. He explained that union members’ salaries had been withheld due to a five-and-a-half-month strike by university-based unions in 2022. According to Oluwaniyi, the Federal Government has only released one month of the withheld salaries in October, failing to meet its promises of full payment.
“We are here to express our grievances with the Federal Government of Nigeria,” Oluwaniyi stated. “In 2022, our union was on strike, and the government withheld our salaries for that period. Despite our meetings and negotiations, the withheld salaries remain unpaid.”
He also highlighted that the government still owes the union arrears of allowances and has not fully honored the 2009 agreement, which includes provisions for occupational hazard allowances.
Former OAU NAAT secretary, Dr. Taoreed Adesiyan, further criticized the severe understaffing in university laboratories nationwide. “Our laboratories are understaffed. We are overworked, and our members are dying. We have repeatedly called on the Federal Government to employ more workers,” Adesiyan said.
The protest underscores the ongoing grievances among academic technologists, who argue that the Federal Government has failed to address their demands for fair compensation and better working conditions.
