Abdullahi M. Gulloma
7 January 2009
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has called on the Federal Government to expedite action on the implementation of 65 years retirement age agreement for the non-teaching staff of universities across the country.
In a statement issued by the National Public Relations Officer of the association Comrade Ini Ekpo, SSANU said urgent implementation of the agreement was necessary in view of the fact that it was signed since 2001.
The statement also called on the federal government to pay the two years monetization arrears which it promised to pay the affected staff this year in order to ensure industrial peace and harmony in the education sector.
"Since labour has reluctantly (howbeit, in the interest of peace ) accepted the decision of the Federal Government to pay the two years arrears in 2009, it would only be expedient for government to honour its words by releasing funds for that payment before the end of January 2009," the statement said.
The statement also stress-ed the need for the government to improve the living condition of workers by approving upward review of their monthly entitlements in order to make them more productive and efficient
According to the statement, the upward review was necessary because workers were always made to take stipends home after putting in so much for the attainment of government set goals.
The association also expressed dismay over the inability of federal government to reconstitute governing councils for the nation's universities for the past three years, saying that government action in this regard breeds corruption in the universities.
"There is no justification whatsoever by the government for not reconstituting the councils till this moment. The implication of this is very grave and catastrophic. Presently, a lot of issues are being left unattended to by the Vice Chancellors who are quick to point out that there is no council in place when it comes to those issues that do not suit their taste.
"The same Vice Chancellors are at liberty to take other far reaching decisions on issues that directly benefit them, even those issues which are the prerogative of councils. If government does not want the universities to rot in the hands of Vice Chan-cellors the councils that are long overdue should be reconstituted without any further delay," the statement said.
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