The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) University of Lagos Chapter, has threatened to embark on an indefinite strike to protest non-payment of allowances to its members, just as hopes rise that the lingering ASUU strike is coming to an end.
Speaking at a press conference held at the secretariat of the Union on Thursday, SSANU Chairman, UNILAG chapter, Comrade Adekola Adetomiwa described the payment of N180, 000 by the institution’s management against N360, 000 enjoyed by their colleagues in other universities as unacceptable.
According to him, University of Ibadan (UI), Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNNAB), and University of Benin (UNIBEN) have been benefiting from the N360, 000 templates.
He therefore affirmed that the leadership of the union will continue to demand for payment of the agreed template because it was their right.
“Doctors at the medical centre were omitted by the UNILAG authority in the template while names of other members of staff were also missing,” he said.
“The monitoring committee has stated that workers on levels 1-5 be paid N80, 000 and levels 6- 15 be paid N360, 000.Management should speak out if the money released by government is not enough to go round.
“UNILAG generates the average of N5b Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) every year, yet nothing to show for it on campus,” adding that apart from the strike action, the union will also consider the option of legal means to fight its cause.
Adetomiwa said at the union’s meeting with the Pro-Chancellor of the institution, Professor Jerry Gana, it was agreed that everyone would be paid, dismissing the audit report of over-staffing as untenable.
“We are not begging the university authority to pay this money, it is our right. It is 360 but 180 template. The allowances that accrued to the tune of N360, 000 are; responsibility allowance, excess workload, hazard, laboratory and clinic allowance,” he stated.
In his response, Deputy Vice Chancellor, Management Services, Professor Duro Oni dismissed the claims, explaining that the Federal Government was aware of how the university disbursed its funds.
He therefore urged the union to remain calm, warning that any form of disturbance or threat to peace on the school’s campuses would not be tolerated.
