For its members who took part in the 2022 industrial action, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has demanded that the Federal Government promptly refund the salaries that were withheld for the final two months.
The union also criticized the frequent delays in federal university wage payments, which frequently occur weeks after other government employees have received their paychecks.
These issues were among the main topics of discussion at the union’s 51st National Executive Council (NEC) meeting, which took place at the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology in Wudil, Kano State.
SSANU asked that salary payments be standardized across all federal and state organizations, emphasizing that justice and fairness must be the standard, in a statement signed by Mohammed Ibrahim, the organization’s national president, and released at the conclusion of the conference.
“In terms of pay cycles, universities shouldn’t fall behind. The statement stated, “The ongoing payment delay has become intolerable.”
As the 2009 FG/SSANU Agreement has been unsolved for more than ten years, the union voiced dismay at the Federal Government’s ongoing silence on the matter.
The statement said, “It is unacceptable that there has been such a long delay in starting meaningful discussions.”
“We demand that the renegotiation process be resumed and completed immediately in order to prevent an industrial crisis in the university system.”
The allocation of ₦10 billion to non-teaching staff is deemed “unjust.”
Additionally, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and SSANU were the three non-teaching staff unions that received ₦10 billion (20%) of the recently announced ₦50 billion Earned Allowance.
According to the union, “this allocation is unfair, discriminatory, and fails to acknowledge the indispensable role SSANU members play in the effective functioning of Nigerian universities.”
The sharing formula was criticized as a violation of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) made with the NASU and SSANU Joint Action Committee in 2022.
The academic association reportedly bemoaned the Federal Government’s persistent disrespect for Memoranda of Action (MoAs), Memoranda of Understanding (MoUs), and collectively negotiated agreements, threatening that SSANU would no longer put up with the practice.
The NEC stated that these agreements are legally enforceable and must be fully complied with since they were achieved by mutual consent and structured debate. “The union will be forced to pursue all legal and suitable options to enforce compliance if this pattern of neglect persists.”
SSANU also voiced serious concerns about the nation’s deteriorating security, especially in Plateau, Benue, and other areas where mass murders have taken place.
In order to increase intelligence collection and security agency professionalism, the union demanded a national security emergency and urged the government to make investments in new infrastructure.
Additionally, it promoted using focused empowerment programs to address the underlying causes of violence, such as social inequality, young unemployment, and poverty.
Economic Reforms Make Things Harder: SSANU
Regarding the economy, SSANU claimed that recent reforms, like the removal of gasoline subsidies and currency unification, had made life considerably worse for Nigerians, despite their goal of stabilizing the economy.
The union emphasized how inflation, rising food prices, and dwindling purchasing power are putting workers and vulnerable residents under terrible strain.
In order to mitigate the impact of economic policies, the union demanded that the federal government implement certain social protection measures, including conditional cash transfers, fuel vouchers, and food subsidies for low-income earners.
“As SSANU reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the promotion of equity, professionalism, and good governance within the Nigerian university system and the broader national landscape, NEC calls on the Federal Government to show sincerity, commitment, and responsiveness in addressing our demands.
The message also stated that “the union remains resolute in its duty to protect the welfare, rights, and dignity of its members across the nation.”
