There are strong indications that the battle to pressure the Federal Government to settle outstanding two months’ salaries owed to members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, is far from over.
SSANU members, rising from their 51st National Executive Council, NEC meeting held at the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, Kano State, are set to further pressure the government to pay the salaries. This is seen as a way of demonstrating good faith and maintaining industrial harmony within the university system.
A communiqué signed by SSANU National President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, also bemoaned the poor welfare of university workers, especially a new trend of salary delays.
“NEC strongly condemns the continued withholding of salaries of SSANU members who participated in the 2022 industrial action. NEC therefore, urges the Federal Government to immediately release the outstanding two months withheld salaries as a demonstration of good faith and commitment to restoring industrial harmony within the university system.
“NEC also decries the persistent delay in salary payments to federal universities, often weeks after other federal workers have been paid.
“This discriminatory practice is both unjust and unacceptable. The union demands the immediate harmonisation of salary disbursements across all federal and state institutions to ensure fairness and equity,”; Ibrahim cautioned.
SSANU equally deliberated on the controversial earned allowances, accusing the Federal Government of double standards.
It’s worth recalling that the Federal Government recently released N50 billion for the payment of earned allowances but directed that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, take the lion’s share, while other sister unions share 20 per cent of the amount.
Ibrahim stated, “NEC strongly frowns at the inequitable and negligible allocation of the N50 billion earned allowance, wherein only 20 per cent which amounts to N10 billion was allotted to the members of the three non-teaching unions (SSANU, NASU and NAAT).
“This allocation is unjust, discriminatory, and fails to acknowledge the indispensable role SSANU members play in the effective functioning of Nigerian Universities. It is also in breach of the MoU signed with the Joint Action Committee, JAC, of NASU and and SSANU in August 2022. NEC calls for a redress of this injustice meted to our members in the universities and inter universities centres”;.
The SSANU NEC also discussed the prevailing insecurity in the country, urging the government to declare a national emergency and instil professionalism among the various security agencies.
“NEC in session expresses grave concern over the worsening state of insecurity across the country, particularly the recent mass killings in Benue, Plateau, and other dtates. The council calls on the Federal Government to declare a national emergency on security, including investing in modern security infrastructure and rejigging the security architecture through intelligence gathering and professionalisation of security agencies.
“NEC further urges the government to address the root causes of violence particularly poverty, youth unemployment, and social injustice through targeted development and empowerment initiatives,”; Ibrahim stated.
