SSANU caution Federal government against establishment of new Universities
THE Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has cautioned the Federal government against the establishment of new Universities in view of numerous funding challenges facing existing ones.
National president of the association, Mohammed Ibrahim made this assertion in Benin City at the 2nd Regular Zonal Executive Council meeting of SSANU, South-South where he also lamented that the introduction of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) has adversely affected autonomy for universities and impoverished it, members.
He said the implementation of IPPIS has denied SSANU members of several allowances they were entitled to, adding that they can no longer access the money they made through their multi-purpose co-operative including the inability of Vice-Chancellors to employ staff.
He said: “No Vice-Chancellor can employ a single staff today in our universities. If a VC can no longer employ a single staff, then where is the university autonomy?
“For us as a union, our highest predicament presently is the continuous denials of our members’ privileges and rights by the Federal Government of Nigeria. We have signed an agreement with the Federal Government since 2009, going to 11 years now, less than 10 percent of that agreement has been implemented.
“Our allowances are being taken for granted. The contribution we make through our multi-purpose cooperative, the money is not accessible. This gives us doubt about the anti-corruption fight professed by this government. And the worst, this money is not remitted.
“Our members are seriously suffering financially and economically because of the mutilation we are witnessing in our salaries. When we key into IPPIS, it was with a clear vision. Our leaders then told us that this is an opportunity where university staff will have easy access to their salaries, but what we are seeing today is contrary,” lamented.
On insecurity, he recommended that the government should empower university security staff with licensed arms and ammunition and also retrain them so that they can stand the insecurity challenges in the university community.
Speaking at the event, Vice-Chancellor, University of Benin, the host of the South-South meeting, Professor Lillian Salami, urged SSANU members and other staff of the university to cooperate with the management by offering selfless and sacrificial service and not to see the university system as a national cake.
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