[Adesewa]

   
Academic and other official activities were yesterday grounded at the Federal University of Technology Owerri (FUTO) by protesting members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU).
The aggrieved workers, under the auspices of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising of Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the National Association of Academic Scientists (NAATS), said they were following the directive of the national body.
Chairman of JAC Comrade Ibeji Nwokeoma said: “The Federal Government gave N23 billion for the payment of earned allowance to all workers of Federal Universities, unfortunately, the money was hijacked by our sister union and they shared it as their spirit moved them, giving over N18 billion to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) alone, leaving a little above N4 billion for three independent staff unions. ASUU hijacked the money at the national level in collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Education.
“We want the government to obey the judgment of the Industrial Court. We can only end this strike if the government addresses the skewed allowance and pay us N66 billion which is the earned allowance for non-academic staffs.”