The 5-day warning strike by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, and the Non-Academic Staff Union, NASU, has taken a heavy toll at the University of Port Harcourt.
Most offices were under lock and key, as members of both unions were seen singing solidarity songs and marching round the school premises.
Other academic activities were also affected as students were seen loitering on campus.
Addressing newsmen at the UNIPORT Campus, the branch Chairman of SSANU, Benard Eze, expressed grievances over the non-payment of their earn allowances by the Federal government.
According to Eze, “The agreement for earn allowances with the Federal Government was reached since 2009. It is 10 years now and nothing has been said about it. We are saying that those agreements are overdue. The things there are dead and worn-out.
“We want the Staff School Teachers to be reinstated. The earn allowance of N25billion where ASUU took 80% and they gave 20% to us is unacceptable. We are asking that the N30billion as backlog of the debt be paid to us.
“This is just a warning and see what is happening. By the time we start the indefinite one should just imagine how the strike will look like.”
On his part, the NASU Chairman, Ogbegbe Osoruchi lamented that so many members had since lost their lives in the struggle.
