Tag: SSANU

President Bola Tinubu yesterday directed a quick resolution of the dispute with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) over unpaid salaries.

Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, told reporters: “The issue of SSANU and NASU is also going to be looked at.”

Minister of State for Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, said the President directed the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Wale Edun, and the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Bagudu, to review the issue of SSANU and NASU payments, with a waiver to pay the outstanding amounts.

President of the NLC, Joe Ajaero, added: “We came with other issues in the basket, like the issue of SSANU, NASU and others…

“We spoke about the need for that matter to be addressed and magnanimously, he asked the agencies concerned to work out the modalities for the payment of those workers in the universities.”

TUC President, Festus Osifo, commended the President’s promise to address the issues of SSANU and NASU.

“We made a case for both the SSANU and NASU, that the President should, as a father of the nation, look at it compassionately, and do…so that we will not have a case where the universities would be closed again,” he said.

The president’s directive comes as the unions took to the streets of Abuja to protest their withheld four-month salaries.

The protest disrupted administrative work in universities and inter-university centres.

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As early as 7:30am, the members converged at the popular Unity Fountain, Abuja, from where they march on the Federal Ministries of Education and Labour and Employment, to present their letters.

The workers are asking the Federal Government to pay ‘us what you owe us’.

SSANU National President Ibrahim Mohammed said the unions would shut down the university system unless the government pays their members.

“We will shut down the system. No university can operate without the non-teaching staff. We admit, we employ, we promote, we punish, dismiss and reward,” he said.

General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi, said several meetings with the government over the withheld salaries have not yielded positive results.

“We have been on these issues for almost 10 years yet some of them remain unresolved. We are determined to ensure that the four months withheld salaries are paid. We are not fighting anybody. If those in charge are in the process of paying, this is to ginger them so that they can pay us immediately.

“Let those who are in charge, those holding on to our money, start sending it to our accounts,” he added.

The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) staged a one-day national protest on Thursday, July 18, over the four months’ withheld salaries of their members.

The national protest disrupted administrative work in universities and inter-university centres.

 The workers are demanding that the federal government pay them the salaries that have been withheld. Ibrahim Mohammed, the National President of SSANU, stated that the unions would shut down the university system unless their members were paid the withheld salaries by the federal government.

Ibrahim said: “We will shut down the system. No university can operate without the non-teaching staff. We admit we employ, we promote, we punish, dismiss, and reward.”

General Secretary of NASU, Peters Adeyemi said several meetings with the government over the withheld salaries have not yielded positive results.

Adeyemi said: “We have been on these issues for almost 10 years and some of these issues have remained unresolved.

“We are determined to make sure that the four months withheld salaries are paid to our members.

“We are not fighting anybody. If those who are in charge are in the process of paying this is to ginger them so that they can pay us immediately.

“Let those who are in charge, those who are holding on to our money, let them start sending it to our various accounts.”

During the protest, the Nigeria Police, Federal Capital Territory, FCT Command stopped the Joint Action Committee (JAC) from leaving the Unity Fountain.

As soon as the leadership of JAC started addressing members for the protest for onward movement to the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Labour and Employment, where they are to present letters to the ministers, the FCT Commissioner of Police, Benneth Igwe, stormed the Unity Fountain and warned that there would be no protest.

Consequently, the police used an armoured vehicle and a Hilux van to block the entrance and exit gates to stop the protest.

All entreaties made to the police by the leadership of the two unions could not persuade them to allow the aggrieved members to proceed with the protest rally.

Some of the non-teaching staff members had wanted to revolt against the police directive, but they were calmed down by their leaders not to do anything that could lead to violence.

The aggrieved staff wondered why the police could attempt to stop a peaceful protest in a democracy, describing the action as a bad omen for democracy.

In order to ensure that the letters were submitted to the relevant ministries, the leadership of JAC decided to use their vehicles instead of the initial peaceful protest to go to the Minister of Education, Prof Tahir Mamman, and his counterpart in the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Nkeiruka Onyejeocha.

Read Also: BREAKING: NASU, SSANU protest four-month withheld salaries

The unions warned that if the four months withheld salaries are not paid by next week, they would be left with no other option than to shut down universities and inter-university centres.

Former Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen Chris Ngige had invoked the ‘No work, no pay’ policy when the four university-based unions embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022.

Salaries of members of the university-based unions who participated in the strike were withheld by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

But President Bola Tinubu in October last year granted amnesty to the university workers and directed that four months of the withheld salaries be paid to them.

The federal government has summoned a meeting with the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) on Thursday, July 4, at the Office of the Minister of Education.

The meeting is coming on the heels of the expiration of a two-week ultimatum issued by the leadership of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of SSANU and NASU issued to the government to pay them their four months withheld salaries or they will shut down the universities.

Former minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige had invoked the ‘No work, no pay’ policy when the four university-based unions embarked on a prolonged strike in 2022.

Salaries of members of the university-based unions who participated in the strike were withheld by the administration of former President Muhammadu Buhari.

However, President Bola Tinubu in October last year granted amnesty to the university workers and directed that four months of the withheld salaries be paid to them.

The Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, had also said that the payment was for all the university workers who participated in the strike.

While the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has been paid their four-month withheld salaries as directed by President Tinubu, the other three unions which included NASU, SSANU and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) are yet to receive their payment.

This has generated tension in the university system with the administration workers threatening to down tools from tomorrow.

One of the union leaders said the government has fixed a meeting with SSANU and NASU by 1 pm on Thursday to address the contentious issues.

Read Also: SSANU, NASU begin strike Thursday over unpaid four-month salary arrears

The union leader, who doesn’t want to be quoted because he was not authorised to speak to the press, said: “The Minister of Education has called to meet with SSANU and NASU tomorrow (today) maybe to persuade us not to go on strike. We will honour the invitation. We are also going to meet with the Minister of State for Labour and Employment by 3 pm tomorrow (today).”

It was also gathered that the JAC of SSANU and NASU has scheduled to meet by 10 am on Thursday before going for the meeting with the education minister.

Recall that the JAC had planned to meet on July 4, after the expiration of the two-week ultimatum to review the response of the government to their demands and declare an indefinite strike if the government refused to pay the withheld salaries.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have threatened to ground activities on campuses nationwide from Thursday except the federal government pays the withheld salary arrears of their members.

SSANU said this in a communique at the end of its 48 regular National Executive Council meeting at the University of Benin and signed by its President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim.

On June 20, 2024, the university workers, through a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, gave the government a two-week ultimatum to pay the salary arrears.

In the letter jointly signed by NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi and Ibrahim, the unions accused the government of neglect and insincerity.

SSANU, in its communique on Tuesday in Abuja, said despite all promises by the Ministers of Education and Labour, including the House of Representatives to pay the arrears, the federal government has continued to “dribble SSANU, even after the mutual agreement to suspend the one-week warning strike in March this year.”

Minister of State for Education, Dr Tanko Sununu promised to respond to the report when he was contacted.

“NEC in session once again expresses utmost dismay at the unprecedented level of Government’s insensitivity and deliberate resolve to cause chaos in the university system by adopting the divide and rule policy to set unions on a collision course through preferential treatment of one union over others. 

Recall that SSANU and other unions were compelled by the government to embark on strike in 2022 over the government’s refusal to honour a collective Bargaining Agreement willingly signed by all parties. At the end of the strike, the then Buhari Government further signed an elaborate agreement among which was the non victimisation clause.

“However, the government made a selective payment of the withheld salaries. While we do not begrudge the payment made to our colleagues, we expected the same gesture to be extended to SSANU and NASU which legally complied with all procedures before embarking on the Industrial action. Despite all promises and media hypes by the Ministers of Education and Labour, including the House of Representatives to pay these arrears, the government has continued to dribble SSANU, even after the mutual agreement to suspend the one-week warning strike in March this year.

“NEC in session deliberated on the matter and unanimously approved a long-drawn comprehensive industrial action after concurrence with the Joint Action Committee meeting of SSANU and NASU scheduled for Thursday 4th July, 2024, if the government fails to pay the four months’ salary arrears,” SSANU said.

The university workers also urged the federal government to resume the payment of the N35,000 wage award.

The union also urged state governments that are yet to commence payment of the wage award to commence payment with the arrears accruing therefrom.

The communique said: “NEC in session also deliberated on the irregular payment of N35,000 wage award to federal civil servants primarily meant to cushion the agonizing effects of fuel subsidy removal pending the approval and implementation of a new national minimum wage. The gross inability of the wage award to heal the excruciating financial wounds is further compounded by its stoppage in Federal Universities with three months arrears already pending. Many states are yet to effect payment of the wage award to our members in state universities thereby increasing their economic woes.

“NEC therefore calls on the Federal Government to immediately resume the payment of the Wage Award alongside the accrued three months arrears without further delay. NEC also calls on State Governments that are yet to commence payment of the Award to commence payment with the arrears accruing therefrom.”

Speaking on the ongoing negotiations on a new minimum wage, the university workers asked the federal government to comply with the demands of labour and hasten the process of negotiation, approval and implementation to be domesticated by both states, local governments and the organised private sector.

The union threatened to join forces with other labour unions to shut down the system if negotiation on a new national minimum wage was not concluded.

“NEC is aware that the Southern Governors Forum had a meeting to discuss an acceptable amount to be paid as National Minimum Wage across the Southern states, with a resolution that they should be allowed to discuss with unions on how to pay the NMW based on availability of funds. NEC further noted that the issue of NMW is on the Exclusive Legislative List and not on the Concurrent List, and so the federal government is to decide on an acceptable NMW.

“SSANU, therefore, rejects in strong terms the proposal of the Southern Governors Forum in negotiating the NMW with their respective state labour centres,” the communique stated.

Read Also: Withheld salaries: SSANU, NASU give Fed Govt two-week ultimatum

SSANU also urged the government to as a matter of urgency reconstitute a new committee for the renegotiation of the SSANU/FGN 2009 Agreement as the issue was long overdue.

“SSANU has earnestly offered itself for the renegotiation process to continue and awaits the invitation of the Federal Government on the issue without further delay,” the university workers said.

The union applauded the effort of the federal government to reconstitute the Governing Councils of federal universities.

SSANU noted that the gesture would facilitate the smooth administration of federal institutions.

“However, NEC frowns at the non-appointment of educationist and experienced technocrats who could have contributed better to the development of our citadels of learning,” the union added.

• Unions to shut down varsities

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government to pay the four months withheld salaries of their members.

The unions vowed to shut universities and inter- university centres if the government failed to pay the withheld salaries at the expiration of the ultimatum.

In a letter addressed to the Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, SSANU and NASU accused the government of neglect and insincerity.

The letter, titled ‘Re-Four months withheld salaries: Demand for immediate payment’, was signed by NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, and SSANU President Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim.

The unions said they can no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the universities if the withheld salaries are not paid.

Read Also: Withheld salaries: SSANU, NASU give Fed Govt two-week ultimatum

The letter reads: “The minister would recall that the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU embarked on a one-week warning strike between March 18 and 24 to protest the denial of the four months’ salary arrears withheld between May and August 24, 2022.

“Following a series of letters and the assurances of payment, we write to remind the minister of our various letters, engagements and assurances towards the payment. We express our regrets and dismay that till date, the withheld salaries have not been paid to our members.

“We view it as an act of insincerity and neglect on the part of the government to the yearnings and aspirations of our members.

“The deafening silence of government and failure to pay the withheld salaries is creating high level of agitations and contentions among our members in the universities and inter-university Centres, such that we can no longer guarantee industrial peace and harmony on our university campuses.

“We, therefore, demand the immediate payment of the four months withheld salaries to our members not later than two weeks from the date of this correspondence, failing which we will be left with no option than to shut down the universities and inter-university centres.”

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) have issued a two-week ultimatum to the Federal Government for the payment of the four months withheld salaries of their members.

The unions vowed to shut down universities and inter-universities centres if the government failed to pay the withheld salaries at the expiration of the ultimatum.

In a letter to the Minister of Education, Professor Tahir Mamman, SSANU and NASU accused the government of neglect and insincerity.

The letter titled: “Re- Four (4) months withheld salaries: Demand for immediate payment,” was signed by NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi and SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim.

The unions said that they can no longer guarantee industrial harmony in the universities if the withheld salaries are not paid. 

Read Also: SSANU kicks over refusal of Kano govt to pay withheld entitlements of members

The letter reads: “The Honourable Minister would recall that the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU embarked on a one week warning strike between March 18th, 2024 and March 24th 2024 to protest the denial of the arrears of four (4) months salaries withheld between May and August 24th, 2022.

“Following a series of letters and the assurances of the payment, we write to remind the Honourable Minister of our various letters, engagements, assurances towards the payment of the four (4) months withheld salaries of SSANU and NASU.

“We wish to express our regrets and dismay that up till date, the withheld salaries have not been paid to our members.

“We view it as an act of insincerity and neglect on the part of the government to the yearnings and aspirations of our members.”

Accusing the government of negating the spirit of collective bargaining which has built distrust, the unions said: “The deafening silence of government and failure to pay the withheld salaries is creating high level of agitations and contentions among our members in the Universities and Inter-University Centres such that we can no longer guarantee industrial peace and harmony on University campuses.

“We therefore demand the immediate payment of the four (4) months withheld salaries to our members not later than two (2) weeks from the date of this correspondence, failing which we will be left with no option than to shut down the Universities and Inter-University Centres.”

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has called on the Kano state government to pay its members their entitlements, saying that life has become so unbearable for the affected members amid the high cost of living in the country.

The union lamented that the Kano state government was owing its members in two state-owned universities entitlements ranging from promotions arrears; hazard arrears; arrears of earned allowance as well as 2018 consequential adjustment on the minimum wage arrears.

According to the union, the two universities being owed their entitlements are Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology (ADUSTECH) formally, Kano University of Science and Technology, Wudil and Yusuf Maitama Sule University, (YUMSUK) formally, Northwest University, Kano.

A statement issued at the end of its 6th Regular Executive Council Meeting, held at Federal University Birnin Kebbi, signed by the national vice president, Comrade Aliyu Adamu and the zonal Ag. Secretary Comrade Hauwa Abdullahi Danbatta, northwest zone of SSANU stated: “It’s surprising that Kano state government is yet to pay SSANU members at ADUSTECH, Wudil the 2021 and 2022 promotions arrears; hazard arrears; arrears of earned allowance as well as consequential adjustment on minimum wage arrears.”

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The statement added: “At YUMSUK, our members are yet to receive the outstanding six months consequential adjustment arrears. Even the palliative paid to civil servants in Kano state was not given to our members of the two state-owned universities.”

While describing the action of the state government as “absurd,” SSANU said: “Our understanding and belief on the Kano State administration’s priority to education is put to check by the inability of the government to settle our members’ entitlements as well as the absence of governing council for more than a year in the two state-owned universities.”

The statement added that the neglect meted out to workers in the two universities leaves much to be desired and called on the state government to immediately reconstitute the governing councils of both universities and without further delay pay all the arrears of salaries and allowances being owed to the workers.