media originally from Indypress
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at the University of Ibadan staged a protest outside the Tekena Tamuno Building on Monday over the alleged victimisation of members and issues surrounding the institution’s scheme of service.
The protesting staff members blocked vehicular movement in the area, restricting access as they gathered in large numbers while a speaker addressed the crowd.
Speaking with a UCJ correspondent on behalf of the unions, Mr Charles Adesola, Secretary, SSANU, UI, said the protest was driven by two major concerns: alleged victimisation of members and unresolved issues relating to the university’s scheme of service.
According to him, the unions had previously written to the university management on the matter but received no formal acknowledgement of their grievances. He added that the protest followed resolutions reached at their last congress, which prompted the current action, which began on Friday. He noted that the university management had since invited the unions for a meeting scheduled for Tuesday.
On allegations of victimisation, Adesola cited the case of a staff member attached to Diamond FM, who reportedly proceeded on sabbatical two to three years ago and returned to be due for promotion in 2025. He alleged that the Head of Department later accused the staff of underperformance, despite no formal query being issued upon his return until 2026.
He stated that the unions are demanding that the affected staff member be granted the promotion he was originally due for.
He also referenced another case involving a staff member who was promoted in 2014 but allegedly demoted after four years without justification. According to him, despite several letters written to the management, no action has been taken, and the unions are demanding reinstatement.
Adesola further raised concerns over the scheme of the service review committee meeting, which he said held discussions affecting NASU and SSANU without their involvement. He noted that the University of Ibadan Council had earlier directed that both unions must be included in any deliberations concerning them.
He expressed hope that the scheduled meeting with the management would yield positive outcomes.
