By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has issued the Federal Government three week ultimatum to meet up with its demands or face nation wide industrial action by members of the union.
The union also said that the neglect and poor funding of universities by some overzealous state governors to the detriment of teaching and research is a matter that should be jointly addressed by all stakeholders.
The National Vice President , SSANU, North East Zone, Comrade Abdulkadir Isa, stated this on Friday in a communique issued at the end of the zonal meeting of the union held at the University of Maiduguri El Kanemi Hall.
Malam Isa emphasized that the payment of the full retirement benefits to deserving members by the government should be resolved. He added that a deliberate legislation should be made for the representation of the union in the university governing council.
He said the union also frowned at the dangerous inflammatory tread in the country where price of essential commodities has soared beyond the reach of the ordinary man.
The union said: “It is unacceptable in a country like ours where we have alot takes to be comfortable. So government should act fast and put in place strategic economic measures to alleviate the harsh economic environment or face strike action.
“We finally call on the government to take heed of all these challenges. To ignore the union at this critical period will not portray the government in good light. We urge the government to be more responsive and proactive to stem the tide of strikes in whatever form”
The National Vice President said the interactive approach of government to the plight of the university workers’ welfare has brought about untold hardships to our members who now wallow in pains and starvation which ultimately affects the level of their productivity.
“Having waited and sinking in these promises with high expectations, it is most unfortunate that government came up with a skewed sharing formula of 75% to ASUU and 25% to all the three non teaching unions of the government universities “
He noted that the SSANU condemned the way and manner government released the so called obnoxious and provocative sharing formula of earned allowances to our law abiding members , refusal of government to pay us the long overdue arrears of the National Minimum Wage, payment of our responsibility and hazard allowance and the perceived increment on petroleum products resulting to long queues in petrol stations among others have brought about severe hardships.
“We want to disabuse the minds of well.meanung Nigerians in the unfortunate comments by the so called Minister if State for Education for saying”, it is impossible for the unions to share the allowance equally because “ASUU have professors and readers who are far senior in salary than SSANU and NASU who are just librarians, laboratory workers”.
“Therefore, whether state or federal government, investment in education is key. We also employ the state government to stop politicizing the education sector by establishing more or many universities that they can not fund while condemning the provocative formula for the sharing of the N22 billion released by the federal government for the payment of Earned Allowances at the rate of 75% to teaching staff and 25% to non teaching staff.
“We are also against the delay by the state and federal government to pay the arrears of the minimum wage consequential adjustment as agreed at the last meeting of TAC with the federal government in the 26th August 2921.
“We are against the forceful retirement of our members at the age of 60 years a in violation of the 65 years agreement in state universities. We demand for full payment of and Implementation of same in staff monthly salaries.We call on the government to also put in place additional security measures for the protection of lives and property “.
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