Workers at the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training, Ibadan, Oyo State, staged a peaceful protest on Wednesday, February 5, 2025, over the non-payment of their December 2024 and January 2025 salaries.
The protest took place at Moore Plantation, Ibadan, with workers from different unions expressing their frustration over the delayed payments.
Speaking during the protest, the Chairman of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Michael Agbaje, said the demonstration was necessary to draw the Federal Government’s attention to their plight.
“Our protest is to let the management know that we are suffering and to push them to act fast,” Agbaje said. “They have claimed to have written letters to the ministry, but that is not enough. We need urgent action.”
The Chairman of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, Adewumi Osadiya, also lamented the hardship faced by the workers.
“This was a black Christmas and New Year for many of us because there was no salary,” Osadiya said. “Some workers couldn’t buy drugs for their medication, and many elderly family members suffered.”
He called on the management to engage directly with officials in Abuja to resolve the issue, warning that the workers might soon adopt a “no pay, no work” approach if nothing changes.
A National Executive member of NASU, Oladeinde Emmanuel, said workers had delayed the protest in the hope that the management would resolve the issue, but nothing had been done.
Reacting to the protest, the Executive Director of IAR&T, Prof. Veronica Obatolu, acknowledged the workers’ frustration and assured them that efforts were being made to resolve the problem.
“We understand the hardship our staff are facing,” Obatolu said. “The non-payment may have been due to an omission in the December salary schedule. The Federal Ministry of Finance has been notified and is working on it.”
She added that the management had already sent multiple complaints to the relevant authorities in Abuja and promised that the issue would be resolved soon.
While appealing for calm, Obatolu assured the workers that their salaries would be paid as soon as possible.
