EDUCATION CRISIS: Govt, Labour talk tough as sharing formula for N23bn tears varsity unions apart

The sharing pattern of the N23 billion released by the Federal Government to Nigerian universities for earned allowances has torn apart unions in the ivory towers, even as the strike action some of them embarked upon lingers.

Meanwhile the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige has warned the unions to avoid prompting the Federal Government to wield the big stick by invoking the relevant section of the labour laws on “No Work, No Pay,” saying it will be disastrous in the season of Christmas and end of the year, if implemented.

But National President of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) Chijioke Ugwuoke, when contacted stated in clear terms that the unions were not intimidated by Government’s plan to implement the ‘no work, no pay policy’.

Already, the non-teaching staff unions in the Universities under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee (JAC) have rejected the sum of N4.6 billion given to them from the N23 billion meant for the four unions in the universities.
To drive home their point, three unions under JAC comprising the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Non Academic Staff Union of Universities and Associated Institutions (NASU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), described the N4.6 billion allocated to them as pittance and resolved nationwide to resume strike from Monday.

Findings revealed that the sharing formula allegedly supervised by the Permanent Secretary, Ministry of Education, Sonny Ochono is also generating ripples even within the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which was given the lion share of over N18 billion as the University of Ilorin and University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) branches of the union were said to have been excluded in the sharing due to ASUU’s internal politics.

It was further gathered that the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife has also questioned the rationale behind the sharing formula without recourse to the University Governing Council that is in possession of the data of staff and their positions that worked between 2009 and 2012 when the Earned Allowance was approved.

Full details: https://www.ripplesnigeria.com/education-crisis-govt-labour-talk-tough-sharing-formula-n23bn-tears-varsity-unions-apart/

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Our citadel of sharing . . . Cultists share spiritual 'blessings' Staff share windfall Girls share their own too Everyone is sharing theirs, no wonder govt is all about sharing.