By Ovat Abeng
Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), Nnamdi Azikiwe University branch Awka, Anambra State, on Thursday protest what they alleged as unjust disbursement of fifty billion naira meant for unions across Nigeria Universities.
It was gathered that leaders of the two unions including the SSANU Chairperson, Comrade Anthonia Chukwudi and NASU Chairman, Comrade Chukwugozie Ikegulu and thousands of members marched through major roads in the university, wielding placards with various inscriptions such as; federal government pay us our two months salary, federal government release our N50 billion naira earned allowance, federal government should honour and implement the agreement it freely enter into with NASU and SSANU without further delay, renegotiate our 2009 agreement, pay us our 25%-35% salary arrears, release our 3rd party deduction of May/June 2022 salary, among others.
The protesters marched from the University’s Multi-purpose hall through to the Enugu-Onitsha expressway and ended at the administrative blocks of the varsity.
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Speaking further with the press shortly after the protest, the NASU chairman, Comrade Chukwugozie Ikegulu, lamented that the N50b in contention released by the federal government to Universities-based unions after the 2022 nationwide strike was unjustly disbursement against them despite their huge contribution to the smooth running of universities in the country.
According to him, “we were majorly part of the 2022 strike that demanded for a better working environment and money for our allowances and the federal government releases the sum of 50 billion naira supposedly meant for universities-based unions, but unfortunately 80 percent of the money was given to one union and the remaining 20 percent was unjustly and poorly given to three unions to share it among themselves, we see this as not being fair and unacceptable to us and which is part of our five point-demands we are protesting today.
“Other of our demands include; immediate renegotiation of the 2009 FGN and NASU/SSANU agreement, the payment of outstanding two months salary, payment of arrears of 25%, 35% salary arrears and the payment of 3rd party deduction of the two months salaries for May/June 2022.”
Ikegulu appealed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to urgently intervene by directing the Accountant General of the Federation to urgently released all outstandings allowances, noting that no university in the world can function perfectly and effectively without the inputs of NASU and SSANU respectively.
On her part, the chairperson of SSANU, Comrade Anthonia Chukwudi, also appealed to the federal government to implement what it has harmoniously signed with the two unions, noting that if implemented, it would help improve their welfare amidst hardship in the country.
She alleged that the delay may be a plot to stop complete functioning of cooperative societies in Nigeria’s Universities.
