Unless last minute intervention by the Federal Government, the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-academic Staff Union of Education and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), have vowed to withdraw her services to protest lopsidedness in the sharing Formula of the recently released Earned allowances for the four unions in the university.
According to a statement jointly signed by NASU General Secretary and SSANU President, Comrade Peters Adeyemi and Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, respectively, acussed federal government of favouring ASUU against others on the approved N22.127bn earned allowances.
The statement added that strike would be the next line of action will be their next option, should government fail to suspend the disbursement of the unfair allocation of the fund, and doing the right thing by ensuring the approved fund is fairly allocated to the unions.
“Out of the total amount(N22.1bn), ASUU was allocated 75%, while the 3 other Non-Teaching Unions were allocated only 25% to share to their members.
“This is the 3rd time this lopsided, skewed and unrealistic disbursement is being done to our members who are not only more in number but belonging to 3 different Unions in the Universites across Nigeria.
“This brazen injustice is to say the least, appalling and inhumane. The previous disbursements can be seen from the table below: 2nd Tranche – Year 2017 N23b at 89% to ASUU and 11% to Non-Teaching Staff; Supplementary of N8b later released to Non-Teaching Staff.
“3rd Tranche; Year 2019 – N25b at the rate of 80% to ASUU and 20% to NonTeaching Staff. 4th Tranche; Year 2021 – N40b at 75% to ASUU and 25% to Non-Teaching Staff.”
The Unions further said; “Members of the public could recall that JAC as a mature and responsible body was prevailed upon through a Memorandum of Agreement (MoA) agreed and signed between us and the FGN on 25″ February, 2021 to suspend our last strike which we embarked upon in protest to the earlier lopsided disbursement of N30b to ASUU, while the 3 other Unions were grven only N10b among other agitations after JAC embarked on stnke on Frnday, 5th February, 2021 and suspended the strike action on Thursday, 25th February, 2021.
“JAC had during conciliatory meetings with the Hon. Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen Chris Ngige alongside other Government officials insisted on the release of the findings of the forensic audit of the previous disbursements. This we believe, if done, will clearly indicate the actual success or otherwise of the previous payments. However, til today, nothing of that nature was done
“We have also queried the opaque formula used in coming up with this skewed and unscientific disbursements. We want to state categorically that our members have been pushed to the wall and cannot continue to allow this injustice. We are currently discussing with our members across the nation and we cannot guarantee continuous industrial harmony in the public Universities and Inter-University Centres in Nigeria if and when this current disbursement is allowed to matenalize.
“We are therefore urgently requesting for an immediate suspension of this vexatious disbursement and hereby implore the relevant Government agencies saddled with this important assignment to go back to the table and rework the template of disbursement with a view to coming up with a more realistic and acceptable allocation formula that will be fair to all members of staff in the University system.
“For the records, we in JAC are NOT competing with any other Union or its members but are strong believers of giving to Caesar what is Caesar’s.”
End.
