Workers of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, on Tuesday, protested their four-months withheld salaries and threatened to embark on indefinite strike if their entitlements are not released to them.
The affected workers under the umbrella of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities and Joint Action Congress of OAU branch, lamented their unpaid salaries by the Federal Government.
Speaking during the peaceful demonstration held at the campus, the Chairman of SSANU), Dr Taiwo Arobadi, said despite promises by the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, they have not received their salaries.
He said during a recent meeting between SSANU, JAC and the Minister of Education, Mamman told their officers that he has sent the report to President Bola Tinubu since March and that he was waiting for the president’s approval.
“But, presently we are confused because we don’t know whether the Minister or President is deceiving us.
“Minister of Labour and Employment, Hon. Nkiruka Onyejeocha, invited our National leaders to a meeting, only the Permanent Secretary and officers of labour attended that meeting.
“We embarked on strike in 2002 on this matter but we suspended that strike because of the Memorandum of Understanding and Memorandum of Action agreement between our leaders and the Federal Government then,” Arobadi explained.
The don added that it was clearly stated in that agreement that nobody is going to be victimised, positing that the failure of the Federal Government to pay their withheld four months salaries means victimisation.
He stressed that between now and July 18, government should call its ministers to pay the money, failure to do so, “we will embark on an indefinite strike.”
Arobadi appealed to well meaning Nigerians, especially parents to advise the Federal Goverment to do the needful, maintaining that many parents have their children in tertiary institutions that their education should not be jeopardized by the looming industrial action.