by Nurat Uthman
The Nigeria Police, Federal Capital Territory, FCT Command, on Thursday stopped 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, from embarking on protest in Abuja.
As soon as the leadership of JAC started addressing members for the protest for onward movement to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, where they are to present letters to the ministers, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe, stormed the Unity Fountain and warned that there would be no protest
Consequently, the police used armoured vehicle and a Hilux van to block the entry and exit gates to stop the protest.
All entreaties made to the police by the leadership of the two unions could not persuade them to allow the aggrieved members to proceed with the protest rally.
Some of the non-teaching staff members had wanted to revolt against the police directive, but they were calmed down by their leaders not to do anything that could lead to violence.
The aggrieved staff wondered why the police could attempt to stop a peaceful protest in a democracy, describing the action as a bad omen for democracy.
In order to ensure that the letters were submitted to the relevant ministries, the leadership of JAC decided to use their vehicles instead of the initial peaceful protest to go to the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.
The unions warned that if the four months withheld salaries are not paid by next week, they would be left with no other option than to shut down universities and inter-university centres.
Those who addressed the protesting workers are the SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, the NASU President, Comrade Hassan Makolo, and the NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi.
