The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) of Ignatius Ajuru University of Education (IAUS) Rumuolumeni Port Harcourt recently demonstrated at the university campus to demand for the improved welfare and immediate recall of their members whose names were expunged from government pay roll.
The nationwide protest by the SSANU and NASU was in compliance with the directive of the National Secretariat of the Union. Members of the two unions in Ajuru University came out in their numbers and protested round the school carrying different placards with anti-government inscriptions. They also appealed to the Rivers State government to reinstate staff of the demonstration school Ndele in Emohua local government area and other higher institutions across the state, whose names were removed from government pay roll.
Addressing newsmen, the branch chairman of SSANU and NASU in Rivers State, Chiza Egu and Angela Fiberesima, in their reaction unanimously held that the protest is in line with the directives from the national secretariat, they also disclosed that for more than 38 months staff of the University Demonstration schools have not received salaries, which led to the death of some of them.
On his own part, Chiza Egu said, “The protest is a national directive about our universities staff schools. If you recall for about 38 months now they have been off salary structure since 2018, some of the staff had died while most of them are also nearing retirement. We are pleading that the National industrial court of 2016 should be implemented and there should be no further appeal both at the national level and the sub national government.”
Speaking on the issue of the Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company (UNPEMCO), she stated that at formation stage the interest of the Non-Academic Staff was not taken into considerations, stressing that following the development the national body of SSANU and NASU had directed that they should not be part of UNPEMCO.
Since their interest was not considered, she also frowned at the sharing formula of the end allowance, by the federal government saying “we rejected the sharing formula of the end allowance by the federal government because there is no reason why ASUU will receive 80% and the Non-Academic Staff will receive 20%” on her part the NASU chairman, Angela Fiberesima appealed to the State government to pay the workers who were disengaged since 2016. “We are protesting because of our staff schools that have been closed down since 2015 up till date. We are pleading with the Rivers State government to the obey court order by calling them back and ensure that their salaries are paid because, some of them are dying already.
“The Governor is our father, he is supposed to guide and also correct us when we are wrong. He should please call the staff back, they are all his children”, she pleaded.
