Ekiti varsity shut as workers protest unpaid salaries

Ekiti State Unievrsity, Ado Ekiti, was again shut on Wednesday as trade unions protested unpaid three months salaries by the State Government.

The workers, under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non Academic Staff Union, and National Association of Academic Technologists vowed not to return to work until their salaries were paid.

The staff were being owed March-May salaries.

Although the Academic Staff Union of Universities did not participate in the protest, our correspondent learnt the union supported it.

The ASUU Chairman in EKSU, Prof  Olufayo Olu-Olu, said the union could not take a lead role in the protest because it had yet to obtain approval from the congress.

Both academic and non-academic activities were paralysed as students were turned back by the aggrieved staff, who shut the two entrances to the institution.

In an interview with our correspondent, the SSANU Chairman, Comrade Kolawole Falade, said the unions arrived at the decision to embark on a protest at its meeting held on Tuesday.

He said, “The three unions-SSANU, NASU and NAAT-met under the Joint Action Committee on Tuesday and decided to embark on the protest to demand payment of our three months salaries.

“We have also not received our earned allowances from 2012 up till date. We also need a Governing Council of the university.

“There is also need for the State Government to increase the monthly subventions to the university from N260 million because of the College of Medicine.”

The NASU Chairman, Comrade Tope Akanmu, could not be reached on telephone. Calls placed to his line indicated it was switched off.