From Oluseye Ojo, Ibadan
The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at the University of Ibadan (UI) have directed members of the two unions not to open their offices or drive official vehicles in the institution during the three-day protest declared by the JAC of the national body, which began on Wednesday.
The directive was issued in response to the alleged refusal of the Federal Government to change the 75:25 per cent sharing formula of the just-approved N22.127 billion for payment of Earned Allowances to university staff by the government. The two unions have called for a new distribution formula.
The resolution calling on members of the unions not to open their offices or drive official vehicles was reached at a congress held by the JAC of SSANU and NASU on Wednesday in UI, where the branch chairmen of the two unions, Abiodun Omisore and Malachy Etim, addressed the congress at the car park, opposite the Senate Building of the institution. The congress also directed its enforcement team to ensure compliance with the directives.
After the congress, members of the unions staged a protest to the main gate of the university and back to the main administrative block, where a letter was submitted to the Vice Chancellor’s Office to be forwarded to the Executive Secretary of the National University Commission (NUC).
UI SSANU Chairman Omisore, who addressed a press conference on behalf of the two unions after the protest, noted that the ‘protest has been called at the instance of the national leadership of the unions (SSANU/NASU) for the public to rehear the concern of the good people of the non-teaching fold in our various public universities, whose rights and privileges are being trampled upon again by the Federal Government.
‘It should be recalled that while the previous protest was going on in this University, the National Leadership of the union was meeting with the officials of the agencies of government over this matter. It is however bothersome that in spite of the concerted effort of the leadership, the Federal Government had been adamant and recalcitrant by not retracting the purported questionable sharing formula document. The public should be reminded that this injustice had its history. In 2017, when the Federal Government released a tranche of N238, 89 per cent of this amount went to the payment of the Earned Allowances of the academic members of staff, while a meagre 11 per cent was earmarked for the remaining three unions (SSANU, NASU and NAAT) in the university.
‘Similarly, in 2019, a tranche of N23 billion was released out of which 80 pee cent went to ASUU and the remaining 20 per cent went to other three unions. It is apt to note that when the non-teaching members complained this inequity, they were assuaged by the promise from the Federal Government that the remainder of what was due would be captured in the next 2021 Supplementary Budget.
‘It is most traumatic and agonising that in the 2021 tranche, a sum of N22 billion was to be released, but with a caveat that the lion share would still be given to ASUU on 75-25 per cent. This we found pathetic, appalling and unacceptable.
‘Without wanting to sound immodest, the non-teaching membership parades professional of different shades; directors, doctors, lawyers, accountants, engineers, university administrators, sound artisans and so on, who are the pillars of the university system. We then begin to wonder why the pillars of an edifice would not be treated tenderly.
‘In similar vein, we wish to note that the Federal Government in spite of the fact that it has settled the arrears of the minimum wage for all workers of other MDAs, it has refused to pay the arrears of the consequential minimum wage for the workers of the public universities. It is apposite to note that several promises have been made since 2019 to date without fulfilling any,’ Omisore stated.