Senior staff Association of Nigerian Universities in the southwest has called on government to address the allowance controversy caused by the release of N25bn to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
SSANU and two other non-teaching unions recently started a nationwide strike to ensure earned allowance of university staff is evenly distributed among all the unions.
National Vice Chairman of SSANU Ilesanmi Jimoh said government has refused to respond favourably to several letters written to it.
The national body of the union had in November in a communique signed by its National President, Comrade Samson Ugokwe and the National Public Relations Officer, Salaam Abdussobura said the implementation of the agreement was necessary to forestall the possibility of resumption of another nationwide strike on the same matter.
It said the union should not be held liable if at the end of the day, the Memorandum of Understanding is breached by the Government and the Union is forced to resume its suspended strike to press home its demands.
It expressed concern over the continued defiance of Government to the judgment of the National Industrial Court which unequivocally pronounced that University Staff Schools are integral part of the University System and condemns in strong terms the prolonged delay in producing the necessary circular specifically directing University administrations to include the staff in the University Staff Schools in the personnel payroll systems of Universities.
While commending the President Buhari led Government for its effort in ensuring the early passage of the 2018 Budget, the union lamented with great disappointment, the meager allocation of 7.04 % allotted to the Education Sector, adding that the Buhari administration has not departed from the misplaced culture of giving priority to capital projects at the expense of developing its manpower.
It also condemned the continued mindless and senseless killings of citizens in the Plateau, Benue and other states across the country by rampaging nomadic herdsmen, saying “more distressing is the fact that no arrest has been made by the security agents thus fueling the touted assumption that these marauders are untouchable and above the law. NEC therefore urges Government at all levels, to immediately check this ugly development by providing adequate security in affected places, arrest and prosecute the perpetrators in order to avoid reprisals and ceaseless killings.”
