Heavy security is present at the Unity Fountain in Abuja as demonstrators from the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) gather for a nationwide protest.
Although many protesters have arrived, security personnel initially prevented some from entering. Following some commotion, the gate was opened, and the demonstrators used their trucks to block the entrance to the Unity Fountain.
The protesters are demanding the release of their four months’ unpaid salaries and a reevaluation of the 2010 agreement with the Federal Government, among other issues.
In 2022, both unions, along with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), went on a prolonged strike. The SSANU and NASU strikes lasted four months, while the ASUU strike extended to eight months.
Despite President Bola Tinubu’s directive for the affected staff to be paid their four-month salaries, SSANU and NASU members claim they have not been paid, unlike ASUU members.
Both unions have urged their members to participate in a nationwide protest on July 9 at all state chapters, with a subsequent national protest planned for today in Abuja.