The Federal Government has been urged by the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) to promptly pay the two months’ worth of withholding salaries that were withheld from its members who took part in the 2022 strike action.
Additionally, the union criticized the frequent delays in federal university salary payments, which frequently occur weeks after other federal employees have received their paychecks.
Held at the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology in Wudil, Kano State, the union’s 51st National Executive Council (NEC) meeting featured these issues as one of its main points of discussion.
Following the conference, SSANU asked in a statement signed by Mohammed Ibrahim, the organization’s national president, that salary payments be standardized throughout all federal and state organizations, emphasizing that justice and fairness must be the standard.
“In the pay cycle, universities shouldn’t fall behind. “The ongoing payment delay has reached an unacceptable level,” the statement said.
The Federal Government has been silent on the revision of the 2009 FG/SSANU Agreement for more than ten years, which has angered the union.
The statement stated, “It is unacceptable that there has been such a long delay in starting meaningful discussions.”
“We call for the renegotiation process to be resumed and completed immediately in order to prevent an industrial crisis in the university system.”
Allocating ₦10 billion to non-teaching staff is “unjust.”
The National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and SSANU are the three non-teaching staff unions that received ₦10 billion (20%) of the recently announced ₦50 billion Earned Allowance. SSANU also criticized this allocation.
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“This distribution is unfair, discriminatory, and ignores the critical role SSANU members play in the efficient operation of Nigerian universities,” the union declared.
According to the report, the sharing formula violated the 2022 Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) that was agreed with the NASU and SSANU Joint Action Committee.
According to reports, the academic union claimed that SSANU will no longer put up with the Federal Government’s persistent disrespect for Memoranda of Action (MoAs), Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and collectively bargained accords.
The NEC stated that “these agreements, which were reached through mutual consent and structured dialogue, are binding and must be fully honoured.” “If this pattern of disregard persists, the union will have no option but to pursue all appropriate and legal means of enforcing compliance.”
The country’s growing insecurity, especially in Benue, Plateau, and other areas where mass murders have taken place, is another issue that SSANU has voiced serious concerns about.
The union demanded a national security emergency, pushing the government to make investments in contemporary infrastructure and restructure the country’s security framework by enhancing intelligence collection and promoting professionalism among security forces.
It also promoted using focused empowerment programs to address the underlying causes of violence, such as social inequality, young unemployment, and poverty.
Economic Reforms Make Things Harder, Says SSANU
In terms of the economy, SSANU claimed that recent changes, like the removal of gasoline subsidies and currency unification, had made life considerably worse for Nigerians, despite their goal of stabilizing the economy.
Inflation is driving up food prices and reducing purchasing power, putting workers and vulnerable residents under unbearable strain, the union noted.
The organization demanded that in order to mitigate the effects of economic policies, the federal government implement certain social protection measures, such as conditional cash transfers, fuel vouchers, and food subsidies for low-income workers.
As SSANU reiterates its steadfast dedication to advancing fairness, professionalism, and sound governance in the Nigerian university system and the larger national context, NEC urges the Federal Government to show sincerity, dedication, and responsiveness in meeting our demands.
The message also stated that the union is “steadfast in its obligation to safeguard the rights, welfare, and dignity of its members throughout the nation.”
