Tunji Adedeji
Non-academic staff of universities, FUTO chapter on Monday staged a protest against alleged unequal distribution of allowances by the federal government.
They workers comprising the leadership of Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff of Nigeria Universities (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), raised eyebrows over the current development where a whopping sum of N19 billion was allocated for the academic staff, while a miserly sum of N4 billion was allocated to the non- teaching staff out of the N23billion released by Federal Government.
The protesters shut the Senate building gate leading to heavy traffic along major roads at the university premises as they threatened to withdraw the institution security, ground power and all academic activities in the campus.
The workers seen were chanting anti-oppression songs, calling on well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on government to implement the agreement it freely enter into with the workers to avoid plunging the nation’s universities into another round of needless crisis.
They accused the Federal Government of downgrading their relevance in the education system.
The Imo state Chairman of Joint Association Committee JAC / Non-Academic Staff of Nigeria
NAAT, Comr . Ibeji Nwokoma while fielding questions from journalists during the protest expressed dissatisfaction with the N 4billion released to non-academic staff union for the 2009/2010 earned academic allowance, saying that the amount is not what should be given.
He pointed out that the Federal Government is not fair on the non-teaching staff. What is the rationale for the sharing formula when N19 billion was released to Academic Staff Union of Universities ASSU alone and the three Union bodies left to share just N 4billion?”
He disclosed that the non-academic staff in state and federal universities had embarked on an indefinite strike since December 2017 to protest the sharing formula of the N23 billion released by the federal government to settle earned allowance thereby disrupting academic and administrative activities.
Speaking also, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Chairman, Comr .Franklin Matthews said it is not in anybody’s interests that they stay away from work. Calling on government to obey the memorandum of understanding, MOU. We have to enforce order from our national body, he averred.
According to him,” if we are left with no choice, what do we do? The speedy resolution of this crisis is in the hands of government. Government should give the teaching staff their earned allowance. They brought the university system to the sorry situation it finds itself. The resolution of the crisis lies in the hands of those who created it. NAAT, NASU and SSANU are hapless victims. We have families to cater for, we also have children who are undergraduates and are desirous of graduating in record time. But the situation has left us with no choice. To end the strike, there must be a high level of commitment and sincerity on the part of government to resolve the issues.
Speaking shortly, Comr. Moses Alemoh NASU Chairman IMO chapter said government has failed to live up to expectations. They should tell us the parameter used to measure the allocation of payment. When did FG start allocating fund to union?
How can N23 billion be released and academic staff hijack it. FUTO management should live up to expectations. When has academic staff start allocating hostels to students?
