Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have staged a protest in Abuja, demanding the payment of their four-month withheld salaries.

The protest, organized by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU, took place at the Unity Fountain in the nation’s capital.

The unions have expressed their dissatisfaction with the government’s failure to pay the withheld salaries, which were due to the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy implemented during the 2022 strike action.

In a statement, the unions emphasized that while academic staff had received their withheld salaries, non-teaching staff had been left out, despite their participation in the same strike action.

The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the police’s use of excessive force to disperse the peaceful protest.

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According to the NLC, the Federal Capital Territory Police Command deployed armored vehicles and heavily armed personnel to break up the demonstration, which they argue was a violation of the constitutional rights of the protesters.

The NLC has urged the federal government to address the issue promptly to avoid further industrial actions. They warned that continued inaction could lead to a significant national protest.

As of now, the government has not issued an official response to the demands of SSANU and NASU.