EAUED Unions Join Nationwide Protest, Issue Strike Ultimatum to FG Over Withheld Pay, Unmet Demands

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) at the Emmanuel Alayande University of Education (EAUED), Oyo, has accused the Federal Government of insincerity and warned of an indefinite strike if their five key demands are not urgently met.

The warning followed a press conference held on the EAUED campus after a massive one-day nationwide protest on Thursday, October 9, 2025, which brought all non-academic activities to a standstill. The protest, led by Comrade Ayotunde James Fabeku, SSANU EAUED Chairman, and Comrade Adetunji Michael Adesina, NASU EAUED Chairman, was in response to a national directive demanding action over what the unions described as the Federal Ministry of Education’s failure to address long-standing grievances.

Addressing journalists amidst hundreds of protesting staff, Comrade Adetunji Michael Adesina accused the government of bad faith, citing its repeated failure to honour agreements reached with the unions. He emphasized that the government’s continued neglect had deepened frustration among non-teaching staff across universities.

The protest focused on several unresolved financial and contractual issues. Chief among them is the government’s failure to pay two months of withheld salaries, a major source of contention. The unions also decried the non-payment of 25% and 35% salary arrears arising from previously approved increments, as well as the inequitable disbursement of the ₦50 billion Earned Allowances. They further condemned the government’s delay in renegotiating the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU Agreements and its failure to remit third-party deductions—funds withheld from members’ salaries for cooperatives and welfare schemes during May and June 2022.

In his address, Comrade Fabeku stressed the indispensable role of non-teaching staff in the university system, declaring, “It is we that wheel the engine of the university. Without NASU, without SSANU, there is no university system.” He lamented the meager nature of their salaries amid worsening economic conditions and cautioned the Federal Government against treating non-teaching staff as second-class citizens, demanding due recognition and fair treatment.

The JAC leaders described the day-long demonstration, which effectively shut down all non-academic operations, as a warning to the government. They stated that if the authorities fail to show genuine commitment to resolving these issues, the National JAC would have no choice but to escalate the action into an indefinite strike. They also urged the Federal Government to empower the Yayale-Ahmed Committee to urgently negotiate a workable template for improved welfare for all non-teaching university workers.

The protest concluded with members vowing to sustain pressure until their welfare concerns are adequately addressed. The demonstration featured a massive procession across the main campus, with staff chanting slogans such as “Pay Our Two Months Outstanding Salaries Now!” and “FG Stop Discriminatory Payment of Earned Allowances!” The chants echoed across the university grounds as all administrative and technical operations remained suspended throughout the day, leaving the campus tense and charged. The union leaders reiterated that the protest was not symbolic but a deliberate warning meant to compel the government to act decisively in addressing the plight of non-academic staff.