Richard Ginika Izuora
The Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) on Sunday, November 29, challenged the Federal Government; to ensure an equitable distribution of the N40 billion earned allowances approved for the Universities unions.
The Associated asked the Federal Government to ensure that the money passed through the universities councils; which it said had the template of the sharing formula.
The SSANU President, Mohammed Ibrahim, also said his union would resist the introduction of any other payment platform; “except the one being conceived by the Joint Action Committee comprising SSANU and the Non-Academic Staff Union.”
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; which is the one recognised by the government to curb corruption within the system.”
Ibrahim said the Federal Government 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.
He said the university administration through the registry as well as bursary units has the responsibility of knowing who should earn what; and advised the government to channel whatever amount they are giving through the councils.
Ibrahim insisted that the government “must either do right and treat all unions equitably; or be ready to face another round of industrial unrest in the university system.”
He also said, “We are ready to take the government head-on if an unjust disbursement of earned allowances is contemplated.
“The 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.”
Oriental News Nigeria had reported that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), agreed to increase the earned allowances for universities unions from N35b to N40b during a meeting in Abuja on Friday.
Also, the Federal Government agreed to exempt ASUU from the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System.
This is pending the verification of its proposed payment system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution.