Follow Us on Google
By Faheem Lawal
Health workers at the University of Lagos (UNILAG) Medical Centre on Wednesday protested their exclusion from the payment of eight months’ arrears of the Consolidated Tertiary Institutions Teaching Allowance (CONTTA), demanding immediate payment of their entitlements.
The protesters, comprising members of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), accused the authorities of discriminating against medical personnel despite their inclusion in the university’s workforce.
The aggrieved workers said the exclusion affected doctors, nurses, pharmacists, dentists, radiographers and public health personnel, questioning why their counterparts in other federal universities had reportedly received the payment while those at UNILAG were left out.
Speaking during the protest, SSANU Chairman, Ademola Yusuf, criticised the Federal Government’s handling of the payment, describing the staggered disbursement as political and a source of disharmony in the university system.
Yusuf called on the government to provide clarity on the payment and address other outstanding issues, including the non-implementation of court judgments.
He also questioned the directive asking universities to use their internally generated revenue (IGR) to meet the payment obligation, noting that many institutions were unwilling to do so.
A SSANU executive member in the health sector, Yinusa Abiodun, said the medical centre workers were excluded despite a Federal Government circular directing federal universities to make payments based on their respective payrolls.
He questioned the rationale for excluding the medical personnel, insisting that they were duly captured on the university’s payroll.
“Is it a crime to be a health worker?” he asked.
Abiodun said the Federal Government had released funds covering eight months’ arrears, adding that some federal universities had already paid their eligible workers, while their UNILAG counterparts had received nothing.
He further disclosed that fewer than 60 health workers were currently attending to the healthcare needs of the entire university community following the departure of several colleagues, lamenting that those remaining were not compensated for their additional workload.
Abiodun said Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, addressed the protesters and promised to intervene on their behalf.
According to him, the matter might require the involvement of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, adding that the workers would assess the Vice-Chancellor’s assurances before determining their next line of action.
The protesting workers said the exclusion was difficult to justify, particularly following the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa’s clarification that the funds were tied to the number of eligible workers on each university’s payroll.
They also cited reports that medical personnel in other federal universities had been included in the payment.
“What makes the health workers of the University of Lagos less deserving of an entitlement extended to their counterparts elsewhere?” the statement queried.
The workers urged the university management to correct the alleged omission, account for the exclusion and ensure immediate payment to all eligible medical centre personnel. They also called on the Minister of Education to intervene.
The protest followed a formal notice issued to the Vice-Chancellor on November 6, in which the workers threatened industrial action over the non-payment of the allowance.
They had said an ultimatum issued to the chairmen of the university-based unions expired on November 4 without a resolution, despite several letters, appeals and engagements with the relevant authorities.
The workers had consequently demanded the immediate approval, implementation and payment of CONTTA to all eligible health personnel, warning that the unresolved grievance could undermine industrial harmony within the university community.
“No worker should have to protest to be counted,” they said.
