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N22.7bn Earned Allowances: SSANU Rejects Sharing Formula
The Western Zone of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has rejected the sharing formula of the ‘Earned Allowances between the Academic Staff Unions of Universities (ASUU) and other unions as proposed by the Federal Government.
The union, at its Zonal Executive meeting held at the weekend at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State, described the proposed formula as ‘provocative, divisive and highly iniquitous’.
Addressing newsmen after the meeting, the National Vice President of SSANU, Dr Abdusobur Olayiwola Salaam, noted that “the statement by the Federal Government had indicated that the about-to-be-released sum of N22.7billion should be shared between ASUU and other three unions, which include SSANU, NAAT and NASU in the Nigerian public universities at the ratio of 75per cent and 25per cent, respectively, saying that it considered the formula as unjust, and a veritable recipe for disharmony on campuses”.
Salaam disclosed that “the N22billion in the pipeline for release was the original money meant for SSANU and NASU, as agreed upon in February this year and now being shared using a satanic formula of 75percent to 25percent, against the original owners of the funds”.
He said, “we are not oblivious of the antics and arm-twisting tendencies inherent in the shambolic release. We are only concerned that government should know better that these are not the best of times to cause chaos on our campuses, but a time to strengthen the university system in the efforts to re-building the Nigerian economy disrupted by the onslaught of COVID-19 and other global malaise.
“SSANU is particularly piqued that ASUU could sit in a meeting with the government to determine ratio or percentages of allowances to be paid to other unions within the system, apart from this being tantamount to shaving a man’s head in his absence.
“For a union that prides itself as being the conscience of the system, we expect them to know better, that this is a ploy by members of the political elites to continue to decimate the quality and standards of public universities through the ensuing chaos of imbalanced Earned Allowances payment while empowering their private universities which are in abundant numbers to continue to thrive.
“We expect our sister union, which we respect so much, to have seen through this ploy and not allow university unions to be swept away by the divide and rule tactics adopted by government to continue to destroy public universities to their own benefit.
“This is a time we expect ASUU to lead the way in uniting and binding all unions in the university system rather than jumping into the melee as reflected in a statement credited to the ASUU President in a national daily.
“Let it be clear to the ASUU president that we reject their negotiations on our behalf because it is anything but altruistic. We wish to point out that ASUU should not see itself as a victor because they are about to benefit from an unjust sharing formula, but as a victim of the wicked shenanigans of those who seek to destroy the Nigerian university system, using all forms of divide and rule”, Salaam said.
While berating the Minister of State for Education, Chukwuemeka Nwajiuba for justifying the skewed ratio for Earned Allowances, who said that non-teaching unions were made up of just a small population of librarians and laboratory workers who cannot equate to the larger number of professors in the university system, Salaam noted that with the minister deliberately watering down the membership of SSANU and ignoring the fact that registrars, and administrators, bursars and accountants, lawyers, medical doctors, pharmacists, nurses, architects, engineers and people from almost every profession form the fulcrum of SSANU, shows the hypocrisy of a minister whose status supposedly earns him the tag of honourable.
Rivers State Head of Service, Dr (Mrs) Inyingi Brown, has called on rural communities in the State to embrace the Rural Access and Agricultural marketing project (RAAMP) with a view to improving their living conditions.
This follows the ongoing sensitization campaign by the State Project Implementation Unit (SPIU) visits to Degema, Abonnema, Afam headquarters of Degema, Akuku Toru and Oyigbo Etche and Omuma local government areas respectively.
Dr Brown who was represented by the Deputy Director, Special Duties in her office, Mrs Dein Akpanah, said RAAMP was initiated by the Federal Government and World Bank to economically empower rural dwellers.s
She said the World Bank understands the plights of rural farmers and traders in the State, and therefore came up with the programme to address them.
According to her, RAAMP will improve the conditions of farmers, traders and fishermen, and therefore, behoves on every rural communities in the State to embrace the programme.
The Head of Service also said the programme would support the youths to be gainfully employed while bridges and roads will be built to link farms and fishing settlements.
Also speaking, the State project coordinator, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the programme has the potential of creating millionaires among farmers and fishermen in the State.
Kpakol who was represented by Engr. Sam Tombari, said RAAMP would help farmers and fishermen to preserve their produce.
According to him, the project will build cold rooms and Silos for preservation of crops and fishes while access roads will also be created to link farmers and fishermen to the market.
He, however, warned them against any act that will lead to the suspension of the projects by the World Bank.
Kpakol particularly warned against acts such as kidnapping, marching ground, gender based violence and child labour, adding that such acts if they occur may lead to the cancellation of the project by the World Bank.
During the visit to Oyigbo local government area, Mr Joshua Kpakol, said the team was there to let them know how they will benefit from the Raamp.
The coordinator who was personally at Oyigbo said the World Bank introduced the project to check food insecurity in the State.
He said already 19 states in Nigeria are already benefitting from the project and called on them to embrace the project.
Meanwhile, stakeholders in the three local government areas have commended the World Bank for including their areas in the project.
They, however, complained over the incessant attacks by pirates on their waterways.
At Degema, King Agolia of Ke kingdom said land was a major problem in the kingdom.
King Agolia represented by High Chief Alpheus Damiebi said many indigenes of the kingdom are willing to go into farming but are handicapped by lack of land.
Also at Degema, the representative of the Omu Onyam Ekeim of Usokun Degema kingdom, Osoabo Isaac, said Degema has embraced the programme but needed more information on the implementation of the programme.
Similarly, while High Chief Precious Abadi advised that the project should not be narrowed to only crop farming, a community women leader, Mrs Orikinge Eremabo Otto, called for the construction of cold rooms in all fishing settlements in the area.
At Abonnema, Mr Diamond Kio linked the problem of the area to incessant piracy along waterways.
He also expressed fears over the possibility of the project being hijacked by politicians.
Also at Abonnema, a stakeholder, Ikiriko Kelvin, called on the World Bank to design an agricultural project that will suit the riverine environment, while at Oyigbo, HRH Eze Boniface Akawo expressed satisfaction with the project.
John Bibor
The political mudslinging between the Senate leadership and Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan continued yesterday as the Senate named Senator Aniekan Bassey as the new Chairman of the Committee on Diaspora and Non-Governmental Organisations.
Senate President, Godswill Akpabio, announced the appointment during yesterday’s plenary, confirming Bassey’s replacement of Senator Natasha Akpoti-Uduaghan, who is currently on suspension.
Akpoti-Uduaghan was reassigned to the Diaspora and NGOs Committee in February after she was removed as Chair of the Senate Committee on Local Content during a minor reshuffle.
Bassey is the senator representing Akwa Ibom North-East Senatorial District.
Although no reason was given for her removal yesterday, the change is believed to be connected to her unresolved suspension.
In May, Justice Binta Nyako of the Federal High Court ordered her reinstatement and directed her to tender an apology to the Senate.
However, the Senate has insisted it has not received a certified true copy of the court judgment.
Akpoti-Uduaghan who represents Kogi Central, has yet to resume her legislative duties despite a recent court ruling that voided her suspension.
In a televised interview on Tuesday, Akpoti-Uduaghan said she was awaiting the Certified True Copy of the judgment before officially returning to plenary, citing legal advice and respect for institutional process.
Although the Federal High Court described her suspension as “excessive and unconstitutional”, a legal opinion dated July 5 and attributed to the Senate’s counsel, Paul Daudu (SAN), argued that the ruling lacked any binding directive to enforce her reinstatement.
Akpoti-Uduaghan, one of only three female senators in the current assembly, said the continued delay in allowing her return was not only a denial of her mandate but also a blow to democratic representation.
“By keeping me out of the chambers, the Senate is not just silencing Kogi Central, it’s denying Nigerian women and children representation. We are only three female senators now, down from eight,” she said.