NON teaching staff in the universities have
said that their members will not resume work today
pending when the Federal Government will pay them
their Earned Allowances totalling over N66 billion.
But the Federal Government has promised to mop up
money for the non teaching staff comprising the
Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities,
SSANU, Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and
Associated Institutions, NASU, and National
Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, alleging
that the N23 billion released to the four university
based unions was hijacked by the Academic Staff
Union of Universities, ASUU.
Meanwhile, there appears to be internal wrangling and
suspicion between the non teaching staff under the
umbrella of Joint Action Committee, JAC, and ASUU, as
it was gathered that the two groups are working at
different directions over Earned Allowances.
Recall that as a result of the strike embarked upon by
the four university based unions over the non
implementation of agreements entered into with the
Federal Government especially on Earned Allowances,
ASUU which had the upper hand in the Committee set
up by the government went home with about N18
billion, leaving the balance of about N4 billion to the
three unions.
As institutions in the country are expected to resume
academic activities today, the JAC of universities non
teaching staff has said that there will be no work for
members until the Federal Government implement its
own part of bargain in the terms of settlement reached
recently.
Speaking to Vanguard on telephone, the Chairman of
JAC, and National President of the Senior Staff
Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Comrade
Samson Chijioke Ugwoke said that there was no going
back on the strike till the Federal Government honours
the terms of settlement entered into with the JAC.
Comrade Ugwoke said, “The situation is that JAC is not
resuming work at all, no work for tomorrow (today).
As far as JAC is concerned, the strike continues and any
university that is putting up programme is wasting its
time because we are going to tighten up situation.
“JAC has already ruled that there will be no going back
until government does what is needful and
government knows that.”
On whether the Federal Government has made any
effort to negotiate with the affected three unions,
Ugwoke said, “We are expecting the Federal
Government to call for a meeting but NAC of SSANU is
holding an emergency meeting by Tuesday somewhere
in the country and we are surely going to take further
steps to ensure strict compliance to total and
comprehensive strike.
“JAC is also to meet anytime from now to ensure
compliance. So, there is concession at all.”
He explained that there was a meeting between the JAC
and Federal Government representatives on 19th
December 2017 and that the representatives of
government expressed regrets in what happened
especially the sharing formula of the N23 billion in
which the three non teaching unions were given a
paltry sum of about N4 billion, while the rest went to
the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
He said, “According to them, ASUU hijacked the
activities of the so-called Committee they set up
because we accused them that there was no
Committee rather they handed over money to ASUU to
share but they denied it.
“One of them said he was not in the country when the
money was released because of that, ASUU hijacked
everything and shared.
“I said it could not have been because there were letter
that empowered the ASUU to do that. So, if these
letters were not issued out, it wouldn’t have happened.
“However, they said they were mopping up money to
give us our own money. We have presented over N66
billion being the cumulative of the three unions Earned
Allowances from 2009 to 2012 for payment and for
their conciliation. So, whenever they mop up money
according to them, they will call us.”
An executive member of one of the striking non
teaching unions told Vanguard that because of
betrayal from one of the unions in the universities,
whatever promises the government has made to JAC
will be kept secret.
He said, “In this case, don’t forget that we have other
stakeholders like …who don’t want us to get anything
from government. That’s why its not in our interest to
make information on our discussions public.”
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