Union urges Buhari, governors to stop opening new universities rather upgrade already existing ones

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UNION URGES BUHARI, GOVERNORS TO STOP OPENING NEW UNIVERSITIES RATHER UPGRADE ALREADY EXISTING ONES

JAC OF SSANU & NASU DEMANDS REINSTATEMENT OF ILLEGALLY LAID OFF MEMBERS

… CALLS ON FG TO IMPLEMENTATION COURT JUDGMENT ON STAFF SCHOOL MATTERS

… ASKS GOVERNMENT TO HONOUR 2009 FG/UNIVERSITY STAFF UNION AGREEMENT

The Eastern Zone of Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) has urged President Mohammadu Buhari and the Governors of 36 States of the Federation to stop opening new universities rather upgrade the existing one and fund them properly.

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The advice was given at a news conference in University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) over the weekend.

The Union expressed disappointment over governments’ approval of the opening of new universities at the same time leaving the existing ones inadequately-funded, with salaries of workers being delayed and allowances owed.

Dr. Leku Ador, The National Vice President of SSANU (East) representing JAC, emphasized that the 5-day warning strike embarked upon the union was due to the expiration of the 2-week mandate given to the Federal Government to address the outstanding issues in the 2009 agreement it had with the union.

The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) said that the issues in the 2009 agreement included payment of earned allowances, universities’ staff schools’ matter, renegotiation of 2009 Federal Government/University Unions’ agreement and funding of universities, both by the federal and state governments. 

The union lamented that even though it had had fruitful negotiations with the Federal Government and its Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) within the past 4 years, the issues still lingers.

JAC then asked President Buhari and the Governors to upgrade already established universities by adequately funding them so that they can compete favourably with other universities globally.

The JAC Eastern Zone, comprising of the Southsouth and Southeast geo-political zones, also called on the National Universities Commission (NUC) to speed up its regulatory roles and focus more on the already-existing universities to function much better.

JAC further informed that having adequate infrastructure and good teaching and learning environment for research is what will guarantee quality education for our children in universities.

JAC moreover maintained that the illegally laid off members of the unions at the staff schools of Nigerian universities laid off 4 years ago should be reinstated.

According to JAC, “Staff school matter is a product of our 2009 agreement with the Federal Government, with a clause that the universities shall be responsible for the funding of the staff schools. Federal Ministry of Labour took the matter to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria in Abuja, but the unions got favourable judgment on December 5, 2016. Since then, we have been calling on the government to implement the court judgment’’.