By Kingsley Chukwuka
As the three days protest declared by the national leadership of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) ends on Friday, the University of Jos branch of the body has called on the federal government to immediately honour the agreement it reached with the unions in order to ensure industrial peace and harmony in the schools’ campuses.
This was contained in a statement signed by the SSANU and NASU chairmen, Comrade Anthony T. Joro and Comrade Bitrus J. Dagwer, respectively.
The statement said the unions also fully threw their weight on the three days protest declared by its national leadership to express its utmost dismay with the manner the Federal Government is handling the payment of earned allowances arrears and its refusal to also honour the Memorandum of Action reached with JAC.
“The Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU University of Jos Branch threw its full weight on the Three (3) days Protest declared by its National leadership to express its utmost dismay with the way and manner the Federal Government is handling the payment of Earned Allowances arrears and its refusal to honour the Memorandum of Action reached with JAC.
“JAC condemn in totality the purported sharing formula of N22.127 B to be released by the Federal Government for the payment of Earned Allowances arrears, whereas Government in connivance with NUC allocated 75% to Academic Staff and 25% to the three Non-Teaching Staffers of the University.
“JAC also frowns at the failure of the Federal Government to pay the Arrears of the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment asagreed at the last meeting of JAC with the Federal Government on 26th of August, 2021. The failure of the Federal Government to address the issues raised above has breached the industrial peace and harmony being enjoyed in our campuses,” the statement partly read.
Recalled that the national leadership of the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of NASU and SSANU held a zoom meeting on 8th November, 2021 to direct all its branches to call a general meeting on 10th of November to declare and commence a 3-day protest, from that 10th November to 12th November 2021.
The directive which was signed by NASU General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi and SSANU National President, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, said the protest marks the beginning of the series of industrial actions to be taken by JAC.
The directive urged JAC branches to await further instructions after the 3-day protest as the national leadership will be meeting on Monday, 15th November, 2021, and the outcome of the meeting would be communicated to the members.