From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), has faulted the exclusion of its members from the recently held Education Summit organized by the Office of the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.
SSANU described the act as disrespectful and a recipe for instability in the university system.
A communique signed by the Union’s President, Mohammed Ibrahim and issued after the its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the University of Calabar recently, read: “NEC in session observes with serious concern the ill-advised decision of the Speaker of the Federal House of Representative on its refusal to invite SSANU, a distinguished Union and undeniably major and critical stakeholder in the University system to the recently held Education Summit organized by the Office of the Speaker of the Federal House of Representatives. This action is not only disrespectful; it is a recipe for instability in the University system. Consequently, NEC resolved that the resolutions reached at that Summit are a nullity and stands rejected by SSANU since there was no input from her.”
The Senior non-teaching staff also lamented
the nonchalant and detached attitude of the Federal Government towards the long standing issue of renegotiating its 2009 Agreement.
“Renegotiation of the Agreement is overdue by 12 years. This is against the statutory three (3) years agreed for periodic review. It is most disheartening and appalling the way Federal Government is handling the issue. We are seriously disturbed by Government’s reluctance, despite SSANU’s readiness in ensuring that this matter is urgently concluded. Since the Prof. Nimi D. Brigg’s Committee was constituted, SSANU has earnestly offered itself for the renegotiation process. NEC therefore, demands the immediate resumption and conclusion of this exercise without any further delay as the content of the current Agreement has been eroded by the harsh economic situation occasioned by hyperinflation and its effect on workers.” The Union said.
They also said that The plethora of problems associated with the IPPIS payment platform has left many SSANU members devastated because of the recurrent disturbing haphazard salary payment, leaving many with inexplicable wages as monthly salaries.
SSANU expressed dismay over delay in payment of arrears of the new national minimum wage to its members in some universities such as Federal University Otuoke, Micheal Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike , Federal University, Dutsima , Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi and Federal University, Gashua, Yobe among others.
They therefore, urged Government to immediately conclude the payment of the arrears to her members in the aforementioned Universities.
The Union’s NEC also noted with dismay the ugly emerging trend of incursion and seizing of the powers and functions of the University Governing Councils by some agencies and offices of government.
“Statutorily, Council is the highest and final decision making organ in any University. It has been observed with grave concern that some overzealous Government agents are trying to truncate this process.” It added.
On the issue of inflation in the country, the university workers said: “NEC in session observes with serious concern the inflationary trend in our Nation where the purchasing power of the Naira has been drastically reduced so much that every good in the market has been taken over by galloping inflation leaving many Nigerians groaning in abject poverty.
“NEC therefore calls on Government to re-gig its economic policies with a view to checking this hyperinflation to allow the poor and low income earners survive this untold hardship.”