NASU, SSANU threaten to shut down varsities over Earned Allowances, Staff Schools 

Varsity workers, under the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Educational Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU); have threatened to shut down academic activities in the university system nationwide over the issue of earned allowances and sacked workers of university staff schools.

Rising from a meeting of joint action committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU in Abuja on Thursday, the workers gave the Federal Government a 14-day ultimatum to address the issues in contention, or force them to immediately commence a nationwide strike.

Already, the unions have directed all their branches in the universities across the country to resume nationwide protest in all the universities from Tuesday next week.

According to a communiqué issued at the end of the JAC, “the meeting in session rejected the sharing formula adopted by the Federal Ministry of Education in the allocation of the last tranche of N25 Billion which allocated 80 per cent to ASUU and a paltry 20 per cent to the non- teaching unions.

• Experts counsel students against suicide

“It was noted that the procedure of allocating monies meant for staff emoluments and allowances across union lines is totally alien to best practices and is a contravention of financial processes.

“NEC in Session observed that the sharing formula defies all logical explanation and does not reflect the proper status of payment of earned allowances for non-teaching staff in our universities and inter-university centres.

“NEC in session also observed that while the outstanding claims of Earned Allowances to ASUU may have been settled till 2012 and part- payment up to 2016 inclusive, the payment of Non- Teaching Staff between 2009 and 2012 have not been resolved, talk- less of up till 2016.”

The unions also frowned at the inability of the Federal Government to obey the judgment of the National Industrial Court that ordered the reinstatement of workers in the Staff Schools.