The Joint Action Committee of the Non-Academic Staf Union af Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) at its meeting held on Thursday, 24 February 2022, reviewed the status of the Memorandum of Understanding reached with the Federal Government following our Industrial Action of January and February 2021.
JAC noted that the January 2021 industrial action was preceded by a Memorandum of Action in October 2020 which highlighted the following
Inconsistencies in IPPIS Payment
Non-Payment of Earned Allowances
Delay in Renegotiation of FGNINASU and SSANU Agreement
Non-Payment of Arrears of National Minimum Wage
Usurpation of Headship of Non-Teaching Units in clear violation of
Conditions of Service and Establishment ProcedureS
Neglect and Poor Funding af State Universities
Non-Payment of Retirement Benefits to Outgoing Members
Non-Constitution of Visitation Panel to Universities.
We wish to make it public that till date, except for constitution of Visitation Panels which white papers are yet to see the light of the day, none of the issues as agreed in the October 2020 and February 2021 Memorandum of Action have been implemented.
The attendant problems of the Integrated Payment Personnel System (IPPIS) remains unabating as our members are still being paid salaries haphazardly. The untold suffering of our members due to the disorganized payment of salaries is further compounded by the unpredictable remittance of Third Party deductions Union Check or Dues, Cooperative Societies, Welfare Schemes, Bank Loans among others.
We had informed the Government of the development of a software, the Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (U3PS). Till date, we have not been invited to any meeting to formally present our software talk less of accrediting it with the relevant government agency. To us, this is the height of insensitivity and contempt for the non-teaching unions.
While we had agreed that a sum of thirty billion naira should be made available for the payment of arrears of Earned Allowance for the three non-teaching unions, lion we had an embarrassing situation where only 25% of a sum of Twenty-Two Naira, was paid to the non-teaching staff in a disbursement made in December 2021, which has only caused further confusion and dissatisfaction in the University System .
Till date, despite all entreaties, the arrears of National Minimum Wage being owed our members is yet to be paid.
On the issue of Renegotiation of our 2009 Agreement, while ather stakeholders can claim to have concluded their renegotiations and seeking implementation, the non-teaching staff unions of NASU and SSANU have not been invited for any meeting for almost two years now. This situation we find utterly unfortunate. This was despite the tact that Government had assured at the Conciliation Meeting that the Renegotiation exercise would be concluded within six weeks or latest by 31 December, 2021.
While the problem of usurpation of headship of Non-Teaching Units by academic staff is unabating. we have witnessed a dangerous decline in funding of State Universities, as our members in many State Universities are being owed salaries with arrears running into months, theroby causing untold hardships and suffering.
We wish to place on record thal evern the constitution of Governing Councils of Universities has onty been partially done, as the Universities of Agriculture till date remain without Governing Councils.
Having waited ane whole year for the consummation of the Memorandum of Understanding and despite all peaceful entreaties, we wish to notify all stakeholders in the Nigerian Universities and Inter-University Centres; and indeed all Nigerians of the possible breakdown of industrial peace in the university system borne out of disrespect for Collective Bargaining Agreements reached with NASU and SSANU by Government.
Given the situation of things as at today and the agitation of our members, we can no longer guarantee industrial peace in our university system. With this release, we place all Nigerians on red alert of the possibility of an industrial action by the non-teaching staff unions of NASU and SSANU, as we can no longer watch by as agreements freely entered into by the Federal Government with the Unions are not respected.
Thank you.
Prince Paters A. Adeyoml
General Secretary, NASU
Com. Mohammed H. Ibrahim
National President, SSANU
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