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Fresh crisis looms in varsities, as SSANU makes new demands

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Fresh crisis looms in the nation’s tertiary education sector as the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) has drawn attention to issues it said may affect smooth running of the institutions.

The union, among other things spoke on the sharing formula of the N40 billion Earned Allowance recently approved by the Federal Government for the university unions.

SSANU called on the government to ensure a fair sharing of the earned allowances between unions in the universities.

The university unions are: Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).

This call was made by the SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, while speaking with journalists in Abuja on Sunday.

Recall that at a meeting in Abuja on Friday, the delegate of the FG, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and the leadership of ASUU, agreed to increase the earned allowances for universities union from N35billion to N40billion.

According to Ibrahim, the government should ensure that the money passes through the universities councils which have the template of the sharing formula.

He said that SSANU would resist introduction of any payment platform aside the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information system (IPPIS), except the one being conceived by the Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU).

He also warned the government to be “wary of any group or union that would present any payment platform apart from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), which is the one recognised by the government to curb corruption within the system.”

Read also: IPPIS: Nigerian govt promises to consider alternative proposed by SSANU, NASU

He added that the FG has no business sharing money to the unions as each university has a governing council which is the employer of all workers and the highest policy-making body of each university.

“The university administration through the registry and bursary units have the responsibility of knowing who should earn what.

“The government should channel whatever amount they are giving properly through the Councils.

“We are ready to take Government head on if an unjust disbursement of Earned Allowances is contemplated.

“Government should be ready to face the full wrath of SSANU and the outcome may be an eye opener for those who have always underestimated SSANU and assume that the welfare of the non-teaching unions can be treated with levity at the expense of other categories of staff.

“I wish to tell people who think that way that they may be in for a shocker!” he said.

By Emmanuella Ibe…

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