News
Staff threaten to shut universities over five months withheld salaries
Workers under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Education and Allied Institutions (NASU) have threatened to shut Nigerian universities over their five months withheld salaries.
The university unions also revealed that President Bola Tinubu last October directed that four months’ salaries be paid to university staff, but only teaching staff were paid last February leaving non-teaching out.
Recall that the non-teaching staff two weeks ago embarked on a warning strike to press home their demands.
Commenting, the National President of NAAT, Comrade Ibeji Nwokoma, said the House of Representatives has waded into the matter.
“We were invited last Wednesday by the House of Representatives Committee on Tertiary Education, representatives of the National Universities Commission NUC, the Committee of Vice Chancellors and others were there. Before our three-day warning strike, members gave the mandate that we should go on full blown strike.
“However, the committee pleaded with us that we should hold on. That they are now on recess and could do little. They pleaded that we give them the opportunity to reconvene after the recess and they would wade into the matter fully. In view of this, we want to give them the benefit of doubt and see what happens between now and the end of April,” he said.
The National President of SSANU, Mohammed Ibrahim, said, “Our members went on strike in March 2022 and it was over the refusal of the government to fulfill the 2009 Agreement we had with the government. The agreement was to be renegotiated every three years but that was not done. Over 15 years now, what we have been having is taking a step forward and taking two backwards. Government keeps tossing us from one committee to another.
“They are owing us five and a half months from that strike action, but they paid teaching staff four months withheld salaries and forgot others. The same attitude is what obtains when you have Earned Allowance to be paid. Some people would just arrogate to themselves the power to take whatever they like from the money and leave the crumbs for others.
“Those who set up the university system knew the importance of all workers, whether teaching or non-teaching, if not, a single person would have been saddled with responsibility of being the teacher, driver, technologist, accountant and so on,” he said.
Speaking in the same vein, Comrade Ibrahim of SSANU, wondered why non-teaching staff are seen as not important in the system.
“We were at a meeting late last year after the pronouncement by President Bola Tinubu that four months salaries would be paid and the Minister of Education was there and he gave the assurance that all would benefit, now the reverse is the case. We are not a strike happy union but we are being pushed to the wall. Between 2022 and now, we have lost over 100 members due to their inability to take care of themselves because of lack of funds.
“When they paid the teaching staff four months salaries, we wrote a protest letter to the government and the receipt of it was acknowledged, but could you believe it that this is the fifth week, we have not heard anything from the government,” he said.
“We have our own organs and the government have theirs. So, if our organs call for total and indefinite strike, which is one of the tools we use, the system would be shut down totally. Non-teaching staff are the ones in charge of power and water supply. They man security posts, if they all abandon such duties, let us see what would happen.
Ibrahim added that: “When education is funded adequately, the government would spend less on security, health and many vices would be reduced.”
Gov. Hope Uzodimma has assured residents of the 27 Local Government Areas of Imo will soon enjoy uninterrupted power supply.
Uzodimma, gave the assurance while signing two executive bills into law, a bill on electricity and another to amend Imo State Polytechnic Law No. 15 of 2012 to pave the way for the merger of campuses of the polytechnic.
The governor said that the Imo state Electricity law, would bring rapid development not only to rural communities but also to the urban centers.
“We are all living witnesses to the ordeal our people are going through in the power sector.
“There is absolutely limited or even no supply, businesses are dying everyday and people are losing everyday with unemployment market swelling everyday.
“I think it has come to a time that every sub-national government must rise and provide what will make life meaningful to her people.
“Electricity is as important as the food we eat everyday. It is the beginning of every development,” he stressed.
The governor, who noted that he took a comprehensive audit of the federal facilities in Imo and infrastructure meant to provide power, expressed concern over the abandoned Amaraku electricity project.
“The transmission and distribution infrastructure at the federal project at Egbema Power Plant initiated in 2006, has not been completed 18 years after.
“I have approached the Federal Government and requested that the project be transferred to Imo state and her development partners.
“I am happy to announce to you that President Bola Tinubu has approved the transfer of the project to Imo Government.
“I am also happy to announce that an agreement has been signed by Imo Government with a world class power company from Egypt with credibility to generate, transmit and distribute electricity in the state,” he stated.
He expressed confidence that power supply will improve in the state in the next 12 months.
Uzodimma further noted that an agreement had been signed with an Egyptian company, Afreximbank, Fidelity bank and Marriott Group to provide 200-room Imo Marriott Hotel in Owerri.
He said the state government only provided land in the Public Private Partnership (PPP) project which would be completed within 24 months.
The governor said the three projects would provide over 5,000 direct jobs for the people of the state.
He said the government has already entered into an agreement with an Egyptian firm, Elsewedy power generation, for the generation, transmission, and distribution of electricity to all parts of the state within the next eight months.
The governor also announced that apart from the fact that electricity is now on the concurrent list , the federal government has given approval and support for the ambitious project.
Speaking to an excited audience after signing the bill into law, Uzodimma said the ultimate goal of the project is to boost the economy of Imo state through industrialization.
According to him, with natural and human resources in the state, an uninterrupted power supply would be a filip to the industrialization policy of the administration.
On the bill for the amendment of the Imo Polytechnic law, the governor said, it was aimed at centralizing its operations as against the multi-campus arrangement.
He said: “It became necessary, given that of late, Imo now operates three state universities and there is no state in Nigeria with up to three universities.
“It has continued to over stretch our resources with the agony and risks of students going from one location to another at a time of insecurity.
“The need for a unified system became necessary to save government the resources, demands and inconveniences occasioned by the robust demands of supervision and monitoring.
“It will also allow for even and proper development of the campus so that students will graduate from an environment that really enable acquisition of knowledge and instill sense of pride in the graduating students,” Uzodimma said.
Earlier, the Speaker of the Imo House of Assembly, Mr Chike Olemgbe, while presenting the bills to the governor, said the executive bills passed legislative scrutiny and process.
Olemgbe said the timely presentation of the bill by the executive arm of the government to the State Assembly clearly shows Imo as a proactive government that yields to the yearnings of the people.
He assured the governor of the assembly’s collaboration to work with the executive arm as partners in progress to provide dividends of democracy and good governance to the people.
The Group Head, Commercial Banking Division, Access Bank Plc, Ralph Opara has said that the private sector is crucial in driving innovative financing models and strategic partnerships to bridge healthcare investment gap in Nigeria.
In a statement on Thursday in Lagos, Opara was quoted to have said this at the 2024 Medic West Africa event, organised by ABCHealth in collaboration with Informa Markets.
The event was a platform for stakeholders across industries to deliberate on the theme; “Healthcare Investments in Africa: Mobilising the Private Sector to Drive Healthcare Investments in Africa.”
It was aimed at charting a path through which corporates could leverage innovative financing models and strategic partnerships in fostering the achievement of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.
The discussions also explored strategies for strengthening healthcare infrastructure, leveraging technological advancements, as well as enhancing community health initiatives.
Opara reaffirmed Access Bank’s commitment to fostering positive transformation in healthcare across Africa.
Speaking at the event, he said that, “The government can’t carry the burden of the health sector alone.
“Hence, it is imperative that the private sector explores and implements innovative financing models and strategic partnerships to bridge the healthcare investment gap.”
Opara said collaborative effort between the public and private sectors was crucial and essential to driving innovation, improving healthcare accessibility, and ensuring sustainable development across Africa.
Some notable participants at the event included Mories Atoki, CEO, ABCHealth; Jane Ike-Okoli, Head of Specialised Sectors Business & Commercial Banking, Stanbic IBTC and Odunayo Sanyo, Executive Director, MTN Foundation;
Others were Group Head, Health Finance, Sterling Bank, Ibironke Akinmade, and MD/CEO, Aliko Dangote Foundation, Zouera Youssoufou.
Demonstrating its commitment to partnership, Access Bank has partnered with the Private Sector Health Alliance of Nigeria (PSHAN), to launch the Adopt-A-Health Facility Program (ADHFP).
ADHFP’s primary aim is delivery of at least one global standard Primary Healthcare Centre (PHC) in each of the 774 Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria.
So far, the initiative has resulted in over 180 PHCs adopted across the country.
Nigeria ripe for nuclear power to boost electricity generation – NAEC
Uzodinma assures Imo residents of uninterrupted power supply
Russian troops enter base housing U.S. military in Niger, U.S. – official
Rt.briscoe, FBNH, Others halts negative performance of stock market
Court orders Sen. Victor Umeh to repay N136m bank debt to AMCON
UNDP, FG partnership needed to achieve inclusion, equity- Minister
-
capital market2 years ago
Rt.briscoe, FBNH, Others halts negative performance of stock market
-
Finance3 months ago
Court orders Sen. Victor Umeh to repay N136m bank debt to AMCON
-
Abuja Update2 months agoUNDP, FG partnership needed to achieve inclusion, equity- Minister
-
Abuja Update1 month ago
Banks drive stock market performance with N147bn gain
-
Business1 week ago
Tingo Group unveils Tingo Electric, Tingo Cola drink at Lagos launch
-
Health2 weeks ago
Capacity training will reduce migration of health workers- NPHCDA
-
News4 months ago
Oil thieves sponsoring malicious media campaign against Navy – Spokesman
-
Infotech1 month ago
World Backup Day: NITDA urges Nigerians to ensure backup of data
