Ondo University Employees Rally Against Non-Payment of N35,000 Wage Entitlement
Workers’ unions under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee (JAC) in Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko, Ondo State yesterday protested against the alleged failure of the State government to include them in the implementation of N35,000 palliative wage award approved to cushion effects of fuel subsidy removal
Leadership of the joint committee, which included the Joint Action Committee, comprises Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), said the palliative had not been received by the staff members of the University since its payment began in Ondo State in November, 2023.
The protesters, who grounded activities at the state institution said the protest was staged to appeal to the state government to grant them the payment as other state workers have been receiving theirs except staffs of the tertiary institutions in Ondo State.
Speaking during the protest the Chairman of JAC in all the state tertiary institution and AAUA SSANU Chairman, Comrade Tayo Ogungbeni, said the demand of the unions was to appeal to the state government not to deny them of their rights to the payment of the wage award agreed by the federal and state governments in collaboration with labour unions for all workers in Nigeria.
Ogungbeni said all workers in Ondo State had been receiving the payment except tertiary institutions in Ondo State in which Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko was also left out
His words: “We have started this protest since Tuesday all over the State tertiary institutions in Ondo State, they did in Olusegun Agagu University in Okitipupa, University of Medical Sciences in Ondo city, And Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko, we do not want our rights to be taken for granted.
The federal government announced a palliative wage award of N35,000 for all workers in Nigeria, we are part of the general workforce, why is Ondo State excluding us? why are they saying we are not qualified for this palliative payment? We are asking for that money now, we know our governor wants our welfarism because everyone goes to the same market, and we also pay for the same fuel Price, what we asked for is our right.
The state government needs to increase the subvention given to the university (AAUA), there should be immediate opening of the University’s main gate, payment of the entitlement of all re-absorbed staff, and payments of retirement benefits to our retired staff.
According to him, “The state government should include us in the palliative payment, we see the nonpayment as cheating, we are part of Ondo State workers.
The information we are hearing on why they are not paying us is that they claimed that the tertiary institutions are autonomous. But talking about autonomy, there is no total autonomy when it comes to Universities, the federal Universities are paid, and we use the same payment method, so I see no reason why we should not be paid. The subvention we do receive is not up to what can cater for our needs.
