By Peter Onyekachukwu 
By Peter Onyekachukwu
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Federal University of Petroleum Resources, Effurun (FUPRE) branch, has warned that it may embark on a warning strike if the Federal Government fails to meet its demands within the next few weeks.
FUPRE SSANU joined the nationwide protest declared by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), decrying what they described as the government’s persistent neglect of agreements signed with the unions.
Comrade Gabriel Stanley, chairman of the SSANU branch at FUPRE, said the protest was a message to the authorities that university workers can no longer endure the pain caused by the government’s broken promises.
“This protest is to tell government that we can no longer bear the suffering. Many of our members have left the system due to frustration and poor welfare. We love this country and want its education sector to thrive, but government must respect our dignity,” he said.
He accused the government of reneging on the 2009 agreement with the unions and of failing to pay two months’ arrears despite earlier assurances.
Stanley also faulted the recent disbursement of earned allowances, describing it as unjust and discriminatory against non-teaching staff.
“Recently, N50 billion earned allowances was released, and only 20 per cent went to the three non-teaching unions. That is unfair and unacceptable,” he stated.
The union leader further condemned what he called the “usurpation” of administrative positions meant for non-teaching staff by academic staff, saying such practices create imbalance and tension within the university system.
“There are positions the non-teaching staff should occupy, but due to the politics going on, the teaching staff have taken over. We say no to usurpation,” he said.
Scores of SSANU members at FUPRE participated in the peaceful protest, displaying placards and chanting solidarity songs in compliance with the national directive from the Joint Action Committee.
The protest, according to Stanley, serves as a warning shot to the government, as the unions’ patience has been stretched thin despite several meetings with the Ministry of Education that yielded no tangible results.
“After a week or thereafter, if government refuses to act, we will have no choice but to embark on a warning strike,” he declared.