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The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), connected Thursday, staged protestation successful Abuja to request the contiguous implementation of respective long-standing agreements reached with the Federal Government.
The protest, which took spot astatine the Yakubu Gowon University, (formerly University of Abuja), is besides ongoing crossed assorted University campuses nationwide.
In Abuja, the protestation was led by Comrade Nurudeen Yusuf, president of SSANU astatine Yakubu Gowon University, and Comrade Sadiya Ibrahim Hassan, chairperson of NASU, Yakubu Gowon University chapter.
The unions accused the Federal Government of neglect, insincerity and a persistent breach of corporate agreements reached with the unions since 2022.
Addressing journalists successful Abuja, Comrade Yusuf said the protestation was indispensable aft respective unheeded appeals, warnings, and ultimatums to the Federal Government.
The unions listed six unresolved issues fueling the ongoing protestation to see renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU Agreements, non-payment of the approved 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage increments and unjust disbursement of the N50 cardinal earned allowances.
Other grievances are non-payment of withheld 2 months’ salaries from 2022, non-remittance of third-party deductions and wide neglect of the payment of non-teaching unit successful universities.
The unions said their vexation dated backmost to the long-overdue renegotiation of the 2009 SSANU/NASU agreements, which, according to them, were expected to beryllium reviewed each 3 years.
They noted that since 2012, respective committees headed astatine antithetic times person been acceptable up without producing immoderate tangible outcome.
The national leaders described the process arsenic an unending ellipse of meetings without progress.
“This gathering aims to shed airy connected the escalating situation successful the assemblage assemblage impacting our members. Regrettably, the government’s unfulfilled promises person necessitated this nationalist connection to caution each stakeholders successful our universities and inter-university centres, arsenic the presumption quo is unsustainable for our acquisition strategy owed to the government’s insincerity astir the plight of members of NASU and SSANU,” Yusuf said.
Chairperson of NASU, Comrade Sadiya Hassan, said the government’s attack of repeatedly mounting up caller committees alternatively of fulfilling existing obligations had deepened mistrust betwixt some sides.
“The past gathering we had with the authorities was connected October 6, pursuing an earlier 1 connected September 22, alternatively of addressing the issues, different committee was acceptable up called the Expanded Yayale Ahmed Committee.
“These issues bash not necessitate caller committees. The authorities already has each the facts and figures. The archetypal measurement should beryllium to merchandise the withheld salaries and arrears arsenic a amusement of bully faith,” she explained.
The unions maintained that nary of the six halfway demands had been met, contrary to claims by the Minister of Education that 80 per cent of the government’s promises had been fulfilled.
“That assertion is false, nary of the six halfway issues has been resolved. The 2009 renegotiation has not been done, the wage increments stay unpaid, our withheld salaries are outstanding, third-party deductions person not been remitted, and the earned allowances contented is unresolved. So wherever is the 80 percent?” they queried.
NASU National President, Dr. Makolo Hasan, who joined the protestation successful solidarity, said the determination to marginalise their members was a wide breach of the 2022 corporate bargaining agreement.
Hasan said the unions had repeatedly fixed authorities country to act, issuing a bid of ultimatums opening with a one-week informing onslaught successful September, aboriginal extended by 2 much weeks.
Those extensions, helium said, expired without a azygous committedness being honoured.
“We person been patient, we gave a one-week onslaught notice, past extended it by 2 weeks. Nothing changed. That is wherefore we are present today. This protestation is simply a informing shot, but if the authorities remains indifferent, we volition person nary prime but to escalate,” helium said.
Both national leaders warned that their patience was moving thin, urging authorities to enactment earlier the nation’s assemblage strategy faces another major shutdown.
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