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Workers at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday staged a peaceful protest over the non-payment of their December 2024 and January 2025 salaries.
The protest, which took place at Moore Plantation, Ibadan, saw workers from various unions voicing their frustrations over the delayed payments.
Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Michael Agbaje, said the demonstration was aimed at drawing the attention of the Federal Government to their plight.
“Our protest is to let the management know that we are suffering and to push them to expedite action. Although they’ve claimed to have written letters to the ministry, that’s not enough. We need urgent action,” Agbaje said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, Adewumi Osadiya, lamented the hardship faced by workers, describing the festive season as a “black Christmas and New Year” due to unpaid salaries.
“There was no money to buy drugs for those on medication, and many elderly family members of our staff suffered. We appeal to the management to engage directly with officials in Abuja to settle this issue,” Osadiya said.
He warned that the workers might soon adopt a “no pay, no work” approach if the situation persists, adding that NASU headquarters in Abuja would be notified if no progress is made.
A National Executive member of NASU, Oladeinde Emmanuel, noted that the protest could have been staged earlier but workers had been hopeful that the institution’s management would resolve the issue without escalation.
The demonstration was attended by leaders and members of NASU, SSANU, the National Association of Academic Technologists, and the Senior Staff Association of Universities Teaching Hospitals, Research Institutes, and Allied Institutions.
Reacting to the protest, the Executive Director of IAR&T, Prof. Veronica Obatolu, acknowledged the workers’ grievances and assured them that efforts were ongoing to resolve the issue.
“We feel the plight of our staff. The non-payment may have resulted from an omission in the December salary schedule. The Federal Ministry of Finance has been notified and is currently working on it,” Obatolu said.
She explained that the management had already lodged complaints with relevant authorities in Abuja and written several letters to expedite the process.
While appealing for calm, Obatolu assured the workers that the matter would be resolved soon.