The Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria chapters of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and NASU have peacefully protested to drive home their demand over unpaid arrears.

The protest took place at the Samaru Campus of the university on Tuesday in Zaria. Most of the entrances to the university were locked.

During the protest, the union members held placards with inscriptions such as ‘JAC demands the immediate payment of withheld salaries’, ‘FG please do the needful and pay us our outstanding four months salaries’ and ‘Pay us our 4 months salaries’.

Mohammed Yunusa, chairman of SSANU, ABU chapter, while briefing journalists, urged the government to pay the withheld salaries and other demands of the Joint Action Committee of SSANU and NASU to avoid a complete collapse of the public universities.

He said their counterparts in the Academic Staff Union of the Universities (ASUU) were paid their withheld salaries in February, leaving out the other unions.

“The unions protested such payment to ASUU alone, issued a letter of demand to the federal government and up till this moment there was no response from them.

“SSANU viewed this as an injustice and a divide and rule strategy in the university system; a university cannot effectively function without inputs from the non-teaching staff. The workers are now at home because of the strike, with academic and social services at the institution grounded,” he said.

Mr Yunusa added that power and water supply had ceased, internet services and servers had shut down, and libraries, laboratories, and lecture halls had been locked.

Meanwhile, SSANU, Federal University Gusau (FUGUS) branch, has joined the association’s nationwide strike demanding payment of four months’ salary withheld in 2023.

In a statement, the branch secretary, Attahiru Abubakar, said all FUGUS Branch members were actively participating in the seven-day warning strike.

 (NAN)