The Joint Action Committee (JAC), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) of Nigeria French Language Village on Friday protested poor welfare in the institution.

The protesting workers led by Wahabi Hammed, SSANU chairman, and Rhukayat Aminu, NASU chairperson, gathered at one of the halls in the institution, with different placards.

The SSANU chairman said the workers, for almost four years of the present leadership in the institution, had not enjoyed welfare packages as they used to do previously.

Mr Hammed said the two unions had channelled their grievances in a letter to the institution’s 7th Regular Governing Council, which was scheduled to meet on Friday.

“There is no training and retraining of staff and no provision of staff buses for transportation.

“Also, lack of facilities such as housing loans, car or motorcycle refurbishing loans and furniture loans for senior and junior categories.

“There’s inadequate office furniture and working tools for members for efficiency and effective performance,” he said.

Ms Aminu, the NASU chairperson, said the grievances include nonpayment of overtime allowance to deserving staff and
unceremonious departure of staff members who had meritoriously served the village and Nigeria at large.

“Long overdue payment of burial expenses of deceased staff members to the families and overdue payment of insurance premium for members who died in active service are others,” he said.

The presence of police officers from Badagry Police Station angered the workers, who moved to the entrance of the council building to register their grievances.

They chanted, with leaves in their hands, alleging poor welfare by the management.

Addressing the protesters, Labiru Musa, the council chairman of NFLV, urged the workers to embrace dialogue rather than confrontation.

“I have the ears of the president and the chairman of All Progressives Congress, and I will ensure that we address the matter,” he said.

The protesting workers thanked the chairman and board members and went to their offices to begin work at 11:30 a.m. 

(NAN)