By Terna Chikpa, Jalingo
The National President, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Comrade Muhammad Haruna, has urged the Taraba State Government to immediately pay the withheld backlog allowances of SSANU members, Taraba state University Jalingo.
Haruna made the demand while speaking at the union’s 11th, Regular Zonal Executive Council (ZEC), meeting held in Jalingo.
The SSANU president insisted that members of the Union deserve to be fairly treated, as the non teaching staff were among the four components that formed the establishment of a university.
While commending the doggedness of the Taraba State University SSANU Chairperson, Comrade Bitrus Joseph Ajibauka, for insisting on the rights of members during faceoff with government, the president assured that the national body of the Union will remain supportive to all struggles of her members across Nigeria universities to ensure justice and fair treatment.
“While on behalf of SSANU national, i commend governor Agbu Kefas, the Vice Chancellor Taraba state University and other critical stakeholders for their efforts during SSANU (TSU-Jalingo) branch faceoff with government. I wish to call on the state government to as a matter of urgency, pay all the withheld salaries/allowances of SSANU members to avoid further faceoff, and allow for a smooth academic calendar.
“I wish to encourage all SSANU members to be dedicated to their duties, committed to ensure the best administrative delivery of the university,” the president noted.
He, however, warned that the union would not support any member operating against the rules of university.
Earlier, Ajibauka, the TSU branch chairperson, commended governor Agbu Kefas for gracious approving the part payment of the Union’s backlogs of salaries/allowances and the full implementation of the N70,000 New National Minimum Wage of 2024.
Ajibauka however demands that the unsettled Salaries and Allowances of staff be settled to foster a harmonious labour management relationship.
“While we appreciate the painstaking efforts of Taraba State Government and the University management in sustaining the University, we wish to remind that there are pressing issues that needs immediate attention in order to foster a harmonious labour-management relationship.
“We demand the full Salaries payment of September 2022 and October, 2022, the withheld 28% of June 2022 Salary Balance, the immediate release of the withheld 28%, withheld 51% of November 2022 Salary Balance, the withheld 44% of December 2022 Salary Balance, the 90% Balance of Earned Administrative Allowance (2009-2024), as for over a decade, members of SSANU have been denied their full Earned Administrative Allowance.
“We demand the implementation of a defined Pension Scheme for the staff of Taraba State University, Jalingo as agreed, to establish a financial security of staff after retirement. We call for immediate review of Conditions of Service to align with other universities across the country. We totally reject the retrogressive used of the repealed Criteria and Guideline for Appointment, Appraisal and Promotions of Senior Non-Academic Staff of the year 2012 and call for immediate application of the current Guidelines,” he demanded.
The SSANU state chairperson also disclosed that the Union’s branch executive through it’s doggedness, was able to achieve the following: (1), The reinstatement of her members that were wrongly suspended in the struggle for ten (10) months without salaries, (2) The released of usurped administrative positions to non-teaching staff: Farm Manager (Teaching and Research Unit), University Admission Officer, Director Computer Based Test (CBT) Centre and Director of Sports.
(3), Payment of withheld responsibility and Hazard allowances of September, 2021, Payment of withheld 75% third party deductions of October 2021, Part payment of unpaid salaries/allowances.
4) Payment of 10% of the Earned Administrative allowances (EAA) for non-teaching staff from 2009 to 2024. Migration of our members in the University Clinic from Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Salary Structure (CONTISS) to Consolidated Health Salary Structure (CONHESS),
(5) Full implementation of the N70,000 New National Minimum Wage of 2024 as enacted by the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024, reconstitution of the dissolved Taraba State University, Jalingo Governing Council by the Visitor, Dr. Agbu Kefas, Governor Taraba State,
(6) Creation of the Taraba State Ministry of Tertiary Education, Payment of outstanding balance of 2016 to 2020 promotion arrears.
(7) Government approval for the implementation of State-Defined Pension Scheme for the staff of Taraba State University, Jalingo.
(8) Creation of Elders Forum of SSANU-TSU Jalingo Branch under the distinguished Chairmanship of Engr. Musa Mijinyawa, Director Physical Planning of TSU-Jalingo among others.
Meanwhile, governor Agbu Kefas pledged to always work on policies that would transform the education sector in the state.
Gov. Kefas who was represented by the Deputy Chief of Staff Government House Jalingo, Emmanuel Lawson expressed that the governor’s decision to slash tertiary institution’s fees by 50% was a deliberate idea to transform the citizens through education, and appealed to SSANU to remain dedicated to their assignments to complement government efforts towards qualitative education in Taraba.
