On Thursday, the Nigeria Police Force, Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Command, thwarted a protest planned by 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) in Abuja.
As the JAC leaders began addressing their members in preparation for the march to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Employment to deliver letters to the ministers, FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe, arrived at Unity Fountain and declared that no protest would be allowed.
Subsequently, the police used an armored vehicle and a Hilux van to block the entry and exit gates, effectively stopping the protest.
Despite appeals from the union leaders, the police remained firm in their decision, preventing the aggrieved members from proceeding with their rally.
Some non-teaching staff members considered defying the police directive, but their leaders managed to calm them down to avoid any potential violence.
The staff expressed their dismay at the police’s attempt to halt a peaceful protest in a democratic setting, calling it a bad omen for democracy.
To ensure that their letters were still delivered to the relevant ministries, the JAC leadership opted to use their vehicles instead of the planned peaceful protest to reach the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, and the Minister of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
The unions warned that if the withheld salaries for the past four months are not paid by next week, they would have no choice but to shut down universities and inter-university centers.
Addressing the protesting workers were SSANU President Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, NASU President Comrade Hassan Makolo, and NASU General Secretary Prince Peters Adeyemi.
