Members of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, rallied on campus Wednesday in a peaceful protest against withheld salaries and unpaid allowances, accusing the Federal Government of a continuing breach of trust.
With messages printed on placards, the demonstrators expressed their dissatisfaction with what they consider as indifference and contempt for their well-being, as they have not been paid in over five months.
They claimed that the protest stemmed from an agreement reached with the government in 2009 that promised particular allowances and incentives to scientists. They claim that these agreements have yet to be fully honored, causing long-term conflict between the government and university technologists across the country.
Union representatives emphasized the impact these delays have had on members who rely on their monthly pay and allowances for survival. Speaking to journalists, Mr. Aminu Rotimi, vice chairman of the OAU NAAT, stated that the Federal Government withheld their salaries after a five-and-a-half-month strike in 2022, a decision he decried as harsh and unfair to workers who were only demanding their rights.
Rotimi noted that NAAT members will continue to demonstrate until their withholding salaries are paid and their demands met. “We have been patient for far too long. “This protest is a reminder to the government that commitments made must be kept,” he stated.
The technologists’ protest is part of a larger pattern of instability in Nigeria’s educational sector, where both staff unions and technologists have spoken out against unmet agreements and promises.
As NAAT members continue to pursue what they believe is appropriate compensation, they are urging the government to renew discussion and uphold the spirit of the 2009 agreement.
