Non-teaching staff of the University of Cross River State (UNICROSS) on Tuesday took to the streets of Calabar to protest the non-payment of pension arrears owed to retired colleagues.
The demonstration, organized under the umbrella of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), began at the UNICROSS campus in Calabar South and ended at the Accountant-General’s office in Calabar Municipality.
Protesters, including pensioners, carried placards and chanted solidarity songs as they demanded immediate payment of their entitlements.
Addressing journalists during the protest, Comrade Odong Bassey Ekeh, NASU Chairman and Secretary of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) in the state, said the unions were compelled to act due to the prolonged delay in payment.
“Our grievance is that there’s a system in place to compute, audit, and pay pensions, yet no payment has been made since June this year,” Ekeh said. “We are not asking for favours; we are demanding our rights. The government funds the university and must ensure retirees receive their pensions and gratuities without further delay.”
The pensioners, visibly angry over the situation, warned that if any of their members died while waiting for payment, the corpses would be deposited at the Accountant-General’s office as a form of protest.
The demonstration has reignited concerns over the welfare of retirees in Cross River State and the slow pace of pension disbursements despite recent government interventions.
It will be recalled that the state government recently released ₦10 billion to defray pension and gratuity arrears dating back to 2013. However, the protesting unions insist that the funds have not reached the affected retirees at UNICROSS.
The workers vowed to continue their agitation until the state government addresses their demands and ensures prompt payment of all outstanding entitlements.
