Non-academic staff of varsities begin protest over agreement with FG

Senior staff of universities under the aegis of Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) will today begin a three-day protest against non-implementation of the agreement on earned allowances with the Federal Government.

The association also condemned Federal Government’s refusal to obey court judgment on staff schools.

This was contained in the resolution d of the union’s 35th regular National Executive Council (NEC) meeting at the Enugu State University of Science and Technology.

SSANU in the resolution signed by its National President, Samson Ugwoke and National Public Relations Officer, Abdussobur Salaam, accused the Federal Government of disobeying judgment of the National Industrial Court (NIC), Abuja, which asked that teachers in University Staff Schools who were sacked should be reinstated since 2016.

It further said that government has not released the N8 billion earned allowances it promised to them.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige had as part of the resolution reached at a meeting on March 13, 2018, announced that the Federal Government would pay the three non-teaching staff unions in the universities N8 billion as earned allowances.

The union, however, hinted that several months after the agreement was reached, the money was yet to be released, saying, the delay in payment had become a source of embarrassment and agitation by members of the unions.

It also explained that the status of the workers in the University Staff Schools remained the same despite NIC ruling of December 5, 2016, which ordered that the workers in the University Staff Schools were Federal Government’s employees as the Staff Schools were part of the university system.

SSANU said it was unfortunate that the Federal Government has continued to show apathy and disinterest in all other aspects of the Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) it reached with the union.

“Members have been fully mobilised to participate in the protests, while branches are advised to carry along the media and security agencies accordingly,” the resolution further stated.

The union also stated that it had done a comprehensive review of the various MoU’s signed with the Federal Government in respect of the actualisation of the 2009 agreement.