Activities at Adekunle Ajasin University Akungba Akoko, Ondo State, were disrupted as workers, under the Joint Action Committee comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union, and the National Association of Academic Technologists, protested the alleged failure of the institution to implement the N35,000 palliative wage award.
The protest, initiated by the workers, aimed to draw attention to the non-receipt of the palliative wage, which was approved to alleviate the impact of fuel subsidy removal.
The workers claimed that since the payment began in Ondo State in November 2023, staff members of the university had not received their share of the palliative.
The Joint Action Committee, led by Comrade Tayo Ogungbeni, expressed dissatisfaction, emphasizing that the protest sought to appeal to the state government and the university authorities to ensure the payment, which other state workers had reportedly received.
Comrade Ogungbeni highlighted the exclusion of tertiary institutions in Ondo State, particularly Adekunle Ajasin University, from the palliative payment, despite being part of the general workforce.
He called for an increase in the subvention given to the university and addressed other concerns such as the immediate opening of the university main gate, payment of entitlements to re-absorbed staff, and retirement benefits for retired staff.
Comrade Ekundayo Abiodun, Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union, said that the association would persist in its demands until they were addressed. He cited the disparity in payment, stating that while federal institutions and Ondo State Civil Service workers had received their palliative wages, state-owned institutions, including the university, had been left out.
In response to the protests, the university’s Deputy Vice Chancellor, Professor Adebisi Adaramola, assured the workers that the institution was aware of the issue and actively engaging with the state government to expedite the payment.
He urged patience while emphasizing ongoing efforts to resolve the matter. The university community awaits further developments as negotiations between the workers and authorities continue.
