…urge Gov. Abiodun to set up visitation panel
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), Olabisi Onabanjo University (OOU), Ago-Iwoye, on Tuesday staged a protest against the cancellation of a two-day off-duty palliative approved by the Ogun State government in 2024.
The palliative, introduced in September 2024 by Governor Dapo Abiodun, granted state workers two days off duty weekly, to ease the rising cost of transportation following fuel subsidy removal.
The protesting non-academic workers, who gathered at the university’s main gate, carried placards with inscriptions such as “OOU management must obey the two-day directive,” “Cancellation of two-day off is illegal,” and “Stop manipulation of university laws.”
The unions also accused the university’s management of high-handedness and alleged plans to sack some staff members. They further clashed with the local chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), whom they accused of siding with management against non-academic workers.
Addressing journalists, NASU OOU Chairman, Comrade Adebola Odufuwa, said the unions had written several letters and issued two seven-day ultimatums to the university to reverse the decision, but management ignored them.
“We are here to express our dissatisfaction with the cancellation of the two days off approved by the state government as palliative to cushion the impact of subsidy removal.
Staff spend between ₦2,000 and ₦5,000 daily on transport. The management’s insensitivity and constant threats of dismissal are unacceptable. We call on Governor Dapo Abiodun to set up a visitation panel to investigate the situation in OOU,” Odufuwa said.
Similarly, the JAC Chairman, Dr. Adedeji Lamina, urged the governor to constitute a visitation panel, noting that the last one took place over ten years ago, contrary to the five-year statutory requirement.
He accused the management of using the disciplinary committee to intimidate workers.
“This administration has taken more people to the disciplinary committee than any other in our 20 years here. Recently, 250 academic staff were employed, but none from the non-teaching cadre.
The management has divided unions using ASUU as its mouthpiece, which is unhealthy for the university system.”
Lamina also faulted the handling of the contributory pension scheme, alleging that while ASUU members who joined recently have been paid, the non-academic staff contributions since 2008 remain unremitted.
When contacted, OOU Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Ayodeji Agboola, dismissed the allegations as false. “All the claims made by the unions are outright falsehoods and misinformation.
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