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By Gabriel Dike
Protesting Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff Union (NASU), yesterday, warned that members may not resume work on January 18 as directed by the Federal Government unless their demands are met.
Chairmen of SSANU and NASU, University of Lagos (UNILAG) branch, Mr. Olusola Sowunmi and Mr. Kehinde Ajibade, respectively, stated this on the last day of the three-day protest over the non-implementation of their demands.
The labour leaders decried the irregularities in the implementation of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), non-payment of two years arrears on the minimum wage to universities workers nationwide, non-payment of retirement benefits to retired members and renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
Ajibade said non-teaching workers were not prepared for the re-opening of universities on January 18 if government failed to address all issues in contention.
‘’We are not guaranteeing parents and stakeholders of re-opening the universities on January 18. The importance of non-teaching staff cannot be over emphasised in the Nigerian University System (NUS). The government has not met our demands, so our members may not resume unless urgent something is done to our issues.,” he said.
Ajibade appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the ongoing issue and direct the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige and Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu to resolve the labour crisis in the university system.
