- SSANU, NASU serve Ngige notice
Non-teaching staff members of public universities will tomorrow begin a three-day protest over Federal Government’s handling of the sharing of the N40 billion earned academic allowances.
Mobilisation for the protest by the workers under the Joint Action Committee (JAC) however starts Monday across the country.
The Federal Government had in December 2020 approved the N40 billion for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff of Universities (NASU and the Academic Technologists (NAAT).
It reportedly allocated 75 percent of the amount to ASUU, leaving only 25 percent for the other three unions,. The sharing formula did not go down well with the other three university unions as they immediately rejected it and threatened to ground the universities.
JAC which comprises NAAT, NASU and SSANU is also kicking against the non-payment of arrears of the new minimum wage to its members.
Other contentious issues that informed the decision to embark on the protest are inconsistencies in the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment and the delay in the renegotiation of the FGN/ ASUU/SSANU 2009 agreement.
The committee is also contesting the non-payment of retirement benefits to its former members, non-constitution of visitation panels to universities, poor funding of universities, and lecturers usurping the headship of non-teaching units.
According to JAC, the decision to embark on the protest was taken Friday night at a meeting by the leadership of NASU and SSANU, in Abuja.
It explained in a statement made available to reporters yesterday that the unions reviewed the Memorandum of Understanding signed with the Federal Government in October 20, 2020.
According to the statement by SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim, and NASU General Secretary Peters Adeyemi, JAC would consider other measures, including embarking on an indefinite strike, after the protest.
JAC is expected to meet on Thursday to review the success or otherwise of the protest and deliberate on the next step.
Already, SSANU and NASU have notified the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, of their intention to embark on the protest
NAAT had last week notified the minister of its decision to embark on a 14- day strike to press home its demands.
The Nation
