From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Joseph Ajaero, has described the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission as the most discriminatory Federal Government organisation.
Ajaero stated this Tuesday, when the NLC leadership visited the Senior Staff Union in Colleges of Education, Nigeria (SSUCOEN) at its Secretariat in Abuja.
The SSUCOEN President, Danladi Msheliza, had lamented exclusion of the union’s members from the 40 percent upward salary review for civil servants by the federal government.
According to Msheliza, “We were told that we in the tertiary education sector and health sector are not to benefit from that. That will be an invitation to industrial crises in the tertiary education sub-sector. That is what they did to our members in the clinics when hazard allowance was paid. They refused to pay them. Now the new hazard allowance they paid, again they have refused to pay them. It is another invitation to crises.”
Reacting to this, Ajaero said: “ I am with you on this. I will not be here and lamenting. We are not ashamed of fighting the battles of our members. Since we came onboard, we have stepped on toes and they are also fighting back. That is how we measure that we are doing well.
“If you see the budget, now that they are leaving office, how much they are paying themselves as gratuity, then you will cry. Ask people in the parliament, some of them don’t have NCE to earn the salary of NCE holders. And the salaries and wages commission, I don’t know how they are operating. That’s the most discriminatory organisation. If you check now, some of them are in court because they don’t have either NYSC discharge certificate, or school certificate, and then they are earning millions and billions. So, you now have two policies for the same people, in the same country. It is scandalous. I also think all of us need to show some interest in politics.”
Meanwhile, Msheliza has also appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari, to quickly assent to the bill seeking Amendment of the Act establishing collages of education in the nation before vacating office.
According to the SSUCOEN President, the new Act if approved, would change the face of collages of education in the nation. “The Act we are using currently is not only archaic but was promulgated by a decree of 1986 and therefore, it cannot be an act that should be operational in colleges of education in this country. Polytechnics and universities’ Act have been amended.
Our union took it upon itself, sponsored a bill in 2018 but before the lifespan of the eight Assembly expired, Mr President couldn’t give assent to that bill and we took up the sponsorship of that bill again and as I speak to you, that bill is at the Presidency and we have only four days for this current administration’s lifespan to expire. We want you to lend your voice for Mr President to give assent to that bill. If that is done sir, the workers of collages of education in Nigeria, will be better off. Our system will be better off, and we will be able to fall in line with present day realities.” He explained.