By Cross Udo, Abuja
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has lamented that it lost over 100 of its members as a result of the non-payment of their four months’ salaries during the 2022 strike embarked on by the four University unions
SSANU has also criticised some of the ministers for not hitting the ground running as directed by President Bola Tinubu, alleging that while the Ministers of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, and Works, Nyesom Wike and Dave Umahi respectively have obeyed the directive, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Simon Lalong and his counterpart in Education, Tahir Mamman have decided ‘to hit the bed sleeping.”
Speaking in his remarks at the 45th National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Maiduguri, Borno State, the National President of SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, also stated that the union was yet to get any circular concerning the recent approval of 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary review for workers in higher institutions in the country.
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SSANU further frowned on the Federal Government’s delay in concluding the 2009 renegotiation agreement and advised the government to conclude it without further delays.
Ibrahim said, “We lost over 100 members as a result of the government’s inability to pay our members their four months’ salary. Some of them could not meet up with their medical needs. We will not forfeit our salaries because it is our right and the money has been budgeted for.
“The refusal to pay the withheld salary is anti-labour, inhuman because if it’s claimed that we went on strike, our strike was legal and it followed all due processes and protocols.
“We did not wake up to go on strike, we wrote and we were discussing and it was because we got stampeded and the government withdrew from our discussions and we were pushed to the wall and the labour laws also give us the right to withdraw our services, this was exactly what we did.
“We didn’t break anybody’s head, we didn’t violate any law. Our money has to be released for peace to reign.
“We are aware that the President of this country Bola Ahmed Tinubu, did instruct his Ministers to hit the ground running and we have seen one or two, positively or negatively they have hit the ground running. Even the greatest of Wike’s critics cannot say he has not hit the ground running.
“Even the greatest of the critics of Umahi cannot say that he has not hit the ground running but our Ministers of Education and Labour, they have hit the bed sleeping because the only way members of SSANU will understand that they have hit the ground running is to release our withheld salaries and also fast-track the release of this reviewed salaries.
“Hitting the ground running is not only semantics but it is actionable. We have written to congratulate both the Ministers of Education and the Ministers of Labour. If truly they want to hit the ground running, we expected by now they should have met the university-based unions but we realise that there is a new style of governance of only meeting with people whom they are afraid of.
“We are not also reluctant nor are we afraid of making trouble but our strategy in SSANU is different because we are people who think before we act and that is why we only raise our voices when the kneels of the antagonists are on our neck.”
The association in its communique said, “NEC in session for the umpteenth time condemns the action of government on the withheld four months’ salary arrears during the last nationwide strike embarked upon by its members, viewing it as insensitive and inconsiderate.
“It was obvious that SSANU complied with all legal provisions including giving adequate notices to the appropriate authorities but were forced to embark on that strike due to the government’s failure to honour her path of the agreement.
“SSANU, therefore, earnestly requests the government to pay the withheld salaries without any further delay considering the harsh economic realities currently faced by citizens in the country as the government is aware, the value for the money has already been eroded by hyperinflation.”
On the sufferings Nigerians are passing through as a result of subsidy removal on petrol that has led to a high cost of living, the association called on the government to be sensitive to the plights of Nigerians.
“SSANU members hereby request that this government, having claimed that they are different, having claimed that they are strategic and that they are bringing in the best of brains that the economy of this country and the welfare of our members in SSANU is at its lowest web, people are suffering, members cannot go to work, families cannot feed effectively, health issues cannot be attended to, school fees cannot be paid.
“What we need at this point is the immediate approval and payment of a realistic palliative in the name of salary award to cushion the effect of the dire devil removal of subsidy. This is done and in addition to what has been approved, will give us some relief, will make us understand, and will convince us to do our work.
“Incidentally as you are aware, SSANU is one of the 54 affiliates of NLC, and NLC in its wisdom has decided to take the bull by the horns to stand by the side of history, to identify with the sufferings of the masses in Nigeria. To condemn government insensitivity, the insincerity of refusing to allow the approval and implementation of payment of wage award and distribution of palliatives to those that need it.”
On the implementation of the 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increase for tertiary education workers, SSANU said, “NEC recalled the renegotiation of salaries for her members with the Committee led by the late Professor Nimi Briggs that was at the final stage where SSANU demanded 700 per cent wage increase but the Committee offered a 23.5 per cent and 35 per cent review to our members.
“NEC is also aware that a provisional sum of N100bn had been budgeted for salary review of workers in tertiary institutions which is yet to be implemented.
“The recent announcement for approval of an increment of 25 per cent and 35 per cent for tertiary institution workers by the Government which was circulated in the social media is not a product of collective bargaining agreement with the University unions.
“While grudgingly acknowledging this slight increase that is yet to be officially communicated to the union, our universities, and inter-university centres, SSANU urges both Federal and State Governments to immediately implement the increment and pay the arrears without further delay.”
The SSANU President in his opening remarks had said, “The implementation of the reviewed salary should be made in such a way that it’s for the university system and not for a class of university or a group of universities.
“As I am talking to you, there is no single union that has a copy officially sent of what has been approved that is circulating in the social media.
“We will not deny because we have seen our Minister operate from social media, he is very friendly with Facebook, just check his name, Mamman Tahir, you see him updating every three, or four minutes what he does including the release of documents immediately it was done, it was on his Facebook page meaning the stakeholders have not been involved.
“So, what we expect is that stakeholder’s example unions should have been involved because this is our product. Unions should have been engaged even if we refused to sign, but we should have been copied.
“Therefore, what we are saying at this point is that the routine thing to do is that that letter should go to the National Universities Commission, Which is the regulatory body of the universities, and that the NUC should direct Councils and Vice Chancellors to implement the payment of this 25 per cent and 35 per cent to our members in all universities irrespective of federal or states.”
It said the issue of renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/SSANU agreement is not only long overdue but has become necessary that the exercise be concluded.
*Mobilises for indefinite strike
On the proposed indefinite strike, it said, “NEC in session after due deliberations agreed that SSANU as an affiliate of the NLC will join the strike to protest the insensitivity of Government in providing palliatives to cushion the effect of removal of fuel subsidy.
“NEC, therefore, mandated all branches to mobilize her members to join the strike as declared as the demands before the government also includes the release of withheld salaries of university workers.
“NEC in session feels seriously agitated by the report of the Ad-hoc Committee of Pro-Chancellors of state-owned universities which among other things recommended that State universities should not participate in nationwide industrial actions.”
