UNILAG VC promises intervention as health workers protest arrears

Health workers at the University of Lagos Medical Centre staged a protest on Wednesday, demanding inclusion in the payment of eight months’ arrears of the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tools Allowance (CONTTA). The strike was organized by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASSU), led by Dr Ademola Yusuf and SSANU ex-officio, Yinusa Abiodun.

SSANU UNILAG chapter Chairman Dr Ademola Yusuf described the exclusion as deeply troubling, questioning why UNILAG health workers were not included in the payment despite other federal universities extending the same entitlement to their health workers. UNILAG Vice-Chancellor Prof. Folasade Ogunsola assured the workers that her office would present their case to the Federal Government, urging patience while they sought a sustainable solution.

Ogunsola emphasized that universities operate under different circumstances and could not allocate funds not budgeted for, promising to work with the government to address the issue. The protest was a response to an injustice that had persisted despite attempts at dialogue and negotiation, according to SSANU ex-officio, Yinusa Abiodun.

He called for fairness, equity, and immediate correction of the perceived injustice, emphasizing that the payment was necessary to alleviate the economic hardships faced by the workers and their families.