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Olabode Adaramola
The Chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-teaching Staff Unions of Universities, Federal University of Technology, Minna, (FUT, Minna), branch, Comrade Abubakar Aliyu has called on the Federal Government to reverse the sharing formula of 75percent to academic staff and 25percent to non-teaching staff of the released N22.127 billion approved as payment of Earned Allowance for the Universities staff.
The Chairman, JAC, FUT, Minna, Comrade Aliyu stated this in a press statement issued and made available to the newsmen over the weekend in Minna, after the JAC Congress held at the CPES Hall, Bosso Campus, Minna the Niger state capital.
The Chairman frowned at the injustice and unfair treatment melted at the non-academic staff by the Federal Government in the proposed sharing formula, adding that such sharing formula would further cause rancor among the different unions in the University.
“The sharing formula for the earned allowance is illogical, lopsided, and unfair to the other three unions. The right thing should be done to save the university system from sinking”, he stated.
He explained that both teaching and non-teaching staff worked for the Federal Government and the payment of staff entitled allowances should be part of their salaries and not through Unions.
Furthermore, he advised the Federal Government to assert its authority as employer of labour in the Universities and should not relinquished its responsibility to any Union.
“The Federal Government should pay all staff entitlements since they have all the records at their disposal at the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) Office and directive should be given to the Accountant General of the Federation to effect all payments to university workers directly” he said.
On the delay in the payment of the consequential national minimum wage arrears to university staff, the JAC Chairman appealed to the Federal Government to do the right thing by ensuring that the minimum wage arrears should be paid without further delay.
He however expressed displeasure that the Federal Government has reneged on its promise to pay the New National Minimum Wage Arrears to university workers in October, 2021, adding that this has further shown that the Federal Government cannot be trusted when it comes to the fulfilment of signed agreements.
The Chairman called on the Visitor, Chancellors, Pro-Chancellors, Vice-Chancellors, Registrars, Bursar and the National Universities Commission (NUC) to work towards the survival of the university system in Nigeria by ensuring that the needful is done.
Equally important, the JAC also submitted a protest letter to the University Management.
The proposed peaceful protest as directed by the National bodies could not hold in FUT, Minna based on the present security challenges being faced in the State.
