• UI chapter vows continued protest
Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has begun mobilisation of members for strike in the event that the Federal Government fails to review the allowance-sharing formula among the four unions in the university system.
A statement jointly signed yesterday in Abuja by NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi and SSANU National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, accused the government of favouring the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over the other three associations in the disbursement of earned allowances.
The JAC said of the total N22.12 billion released, ASUU was reportedly allocated 75 per cent, while the three non-teaching unions allegedly got a paltry 25 per cent.
It claimed that, “this is the third time the lopsided, skewed and unrealistic disbursement is being done to our members, who are not only more in number, but belong to three different unions in the universities across Nigeria.”
The JAC added: “The brazen injustice is, to say the least, appalling and inhumane. The previous disbursements were as follows: second tranche – year 2017, N23 billion at 89 per cent to ASUU and 11 per cent to non-teaching staff. Supplementary of N8 billion later released to non-teaching staff. Third tranche – year 2019, N25 billion at the rate of 80 per cent to ASUU and 20 per cent to non-teaching staff. Fourth tranche – year 2021, N40 billion at 75 per cent to ASUU and 25 per cent to non-teaching staff.”
The unions said the JAC was prevailed upon to suspend its planned strike when a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) was signed with the Federal Government on February 25, 2021.
They had protested against the earlier disbursement of N30 billion to ASUU, while the three others got N10 billion among other agitations on February 5 this year. The industrial action was suspended on February 25.
The JAC also frowned on the alleged non-release of the forensic audit of previous releases for purposes of transparency.
It urged current administration to halt further disbursements until an acceptable sharing formula by the four unions was struck.
SIMILARLY, the University of Ibadan (UI) chapter of the JAC, yesterday, vowed to continue protesting until the government does something about the N22.127 billion approved as earned allowances for its members.
The UI branch, led by SSANU chairman, Abiodun Omisore and other leaders, warned the government against going ahead with the “unjustifiable sharing formula in the about-to-be-released tranche of the 2021 earned allowances.”
Source: Guardian.ng