From Gyang Bere, Jos
Vice Chancellor, Plateau State University Bokkos, Prof. Yohanna Izam, has said that the State Government had released N100 million for payment of arrears of the Earned Allowances for staff of the institution.
Prof. Izam disclosed on Thursday while briefing Journalists in Bokkos and said the funds released had addressed some part of the lingering demands of the unions who embark on strike.
It could be recalled that members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) of the institution had embarked on indefinite strike to press home their demands.
Non payment of earned allowances for many sessions were part of the main issues that necessitated the internal strike action by the unions.
But the vice chancellor explained that the funds released was disbursed among the unions, adding that there was an insight that the unions would call off the internal strike when the national body of ASUU declared the current strike.
“Non payment of arrears of earned allowance is one of the key demands that led to the strike action by SSANU and ASUU of this institution.
“The state government has graciously released N100 million to address that aspect of their demands. The money is not enough settle all the arrears; we need about N350 million to do that.
“So we sat with the two unions to decide the sharing formula and members of ASUU got three sessions and SSANU had two. We were already reaching an agreement to end our internal strike when the national body of ASUU declared the ongoing warning strike.
“We believe that before the end of this one month warning strike, we must have concluded our negotiation and academic activities will fully resume in the university,” he said.
The vice chancellor added that government and management of the institution had started addressing some of the other demands of the unions so as to avert future strike action that would truncate its academic calendar.
Izam thanked the state government for supporting the institution’s drive toward a better university education in the state.
He appealed to the unions to consider the commitment already shown by government and call off the internally strike action.
He called on the unions and stakeholders in the state to support the management of the institution for growth of the university.