Authorities of the Obafemi Awolowo University are leaving no stone unturned in their bid to calm the frayed nerves of members of the institution’s Non-Academic Staff Union.

The workers, who expressed their grievance with a warning strike, alleged that the institution owed them hazard allowance for 64 months.

When the aggrieved workers started the protest against the non-payment of their hazard allowance, they shut the gate leading to the school, the senate building including the library. The situation made many of the students, members of staff and visitors to trek long distances.

The Chairman of the NASU, OAU chapter, Mr. Wole Odewunmi, stated that if the authorities of the institution did not accede to their demands, members of the union would be left with no option than to embark on a total strike.

He added that the union notified the management before it started the protest.

Describing the union as peace-loving, Odewunmi added that it could no longer fold its arms but to let the public know about its plight.

He said, “For the past 64 months, we are owed hazard allowance and we have had several meetings that yielded no results. The two parties — government and management—keep blaming each other. The school management are saying that they have not received any money but those at the top positions are already enjoying the allowance but the authorities tagged it responsibility allowance. How can they pay certain people and leave the rest of the workers?”

The situation, however, took a new twist when the management of the institution last Sunday after its emergency senate meeting asked students to vacate the university.

Though the break was termed ‘mid-semester break,’ the leadership of the varsity’s Students’ Union linked it to the protest by the aggrieved workers.

The President of the Students’ Union, Mr. Omotayo Akande, stated that the students had earlier boycotted lectures for one week in solidarity with the aggrieved workers.

In a statement titled “On the incongruous ‘mid-semester break’ on OAU campus,” which Akande signed alongside the union’s Public Relations Officer, Emmanuel Ojedokun, the union said every studious student would pray for a stable academic calendar.

The statement noted that an environment conducive to learning was not negotiable hence underscored the importance of members of NASU.

It added, ‘‘NASU OAU workers embarked on a strike on Friday, July 3, 2015. The industrial action led to the closure of the school gate to express their grievance against the non-payment of their hazard allowance. Conventionally, when NASU goes on strike, it will cut electric power supply, water and curtail vehicular movements. We decided to support NASU in order to reduce the effect of the protest on students since we are always at the receiving end of every NASU or ASUU strike either with the management or the Federal Government.’’

Akande said the student body called an emergency meeting with the management to compel the university to resolve the NASU crisis, work out modalities for stable light, water and movement in and out of the campus and reiterate its demand for a stable academic calendar.

He stated, ‘‘The unorthodox and alien mid-semester break declared by the management is very ludicrous, not holistic and incongruous. The cause of the matter that made the management to take such a decision was not addressed. Our students either way would suffer an unwanted extension of the academic calendar, law students postings end shortly and their results have not been approved. The National Youth Service Corps mobilisation for the institution’s graduates may be delayed. The possibility of NASU to continue the strike even after the closure if the non-payment of the allowance is not addressed makes the decision of a break inappropriate.’’

The student body urged the visitor to the school, President Muhammadu Buhari, to intervene by providing funds to pay the allowance of the workers in the interest of the students.

According to Akande, the closure is needless and will not address the problem.

He said, ‘‘We demand immediate negotiation with NASU and to ensure all possible means to end the strike. We implore that the NEED Assessment Fund must not be tampered with. We demand the immediate disbursement of the fund for the construction of hostels and other purpose it is meant for. Also, we demand for the immediate re-opening of school and a two-week extension of the academic calendar as a result of the week-long strike to avert any pressure on the students.’’

While calling on the aggrieved workers to make peace, he urged them to remember that their salaries and that of their principal officers would continue with the strike staling academic session.

On Wednesday, the leadership of the NASU, OAU chapter, made fresh demands from the authorities of the varsity before its members could return to their duties.

Members of the union after an emergency congress held in the school asked the university authorities to start the implementation of the 64-month hazard allowance owed them.

Among other demands, the union also asked for the payment of at least 20 months of the outstanding arrears this month.

He stated, ‘‘We want the university management to start the implementation of the hazard allowance this month. Besides, it should pay at least 20 months out of the outstanding arrears it owed our members. Failure to do this will leave us with no option than to ask our members to withdraw their services from the university. For now, we still render our services and converge on the sports complex of the university to hold meetings.’’

SUNDAY PUNCH also gathered that the leadership of the union and representatives of the university met at the palace of the Ooni of Ife, Oba Okunade Sijuwade, with a view to resolving the matter.

The Public Relations Officer of the institution, Mr. Biodun Olarewaju, however, explained that the university did not declare a closure but a ‘mid-semester break.’

He also said the break was not connected to the protest by the NASU members, adding that the university authorities declared a break to allow the students have some rest.

Olanrewaju also denied that the management paid other workers hazard allowance under the guise of responsibility allowance.

He said, ‘‘The institution does not owe the workers. It is the Federal Government that owes them. The responsibility allowance is for any worker in the school who is given an additional responsibility to carry out on behalf of the institution. Since the person uses his or her own money to buy fuel for his or her car even without an official car, the management gives a token at the end of the month for the expenses the person incurs. Some members of the union have received such money too.’’

Olanrewaju also said he was not aware of any meeting between the union members and delegates of the varsity held at the palace of the Ooni of Ife.

He added, ‘‘I do not have any information that the Ooni of Ife met with representatives of the institution and the leadership of the union. But as a father of all, it is good if the Ooni of Ife intervenes to end the matter. We have done what we should do as a university. We got some officers of the Nigeria Police Force to dismantle all the areas barricaded by the workers so as to allow the free flow of traffic.’’

On when the protest may likely end, Olanrewaju said he could not say but noted that ‘‘Whatever has a beginning must have an end.’’

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