From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
On Thursday, armed men from the Nigeria Police Force prevented protesting members of the Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) from protesting over their withheld salaries at Unity Fountain in Abuja.
The armed personnel, along with armoured vehicles, blocked the entrance, stating that the protesters must not proceed, without any explanation. The union members remained trapped inside the venue at the time of filing this report.
However, NASU General-Secretary Peters Adeyemi clarified to the press that the relevant authorities had been notified about the planned protest scheduled for Thursday.
Read also: FCT security tightened as SSANU, NASU converge for protest
The demonstration was part of a series of protests initiated by NASU and SSANU, which began the previous Tuesday in various states and the FCT, to show their grievances over delayed salaries from the Federal Government.
The Joint Action Committee (JAC), representing both NASU and SSANU, has been contending with long-standing issues concerning welfare and university education in Nigeria.
In March 2022, the unions initiated a strike due to the government’s failure to uphold various agreements.
In 2023, President Bola Tinubu directed the payment of the outstanding salaries and the exclusion of universities from the IPPIS platform.
However, nine months after the presidential directives, the unions criticised the Federal Government for selectively paying withheld salaries by excluding their members.