University workers urge Tinubu to pay four-month withheld salaries

• The appeal was conveyed through a communiqué, urging President Tinubu to honor his commitment regarding the N35,000 wage award as well
  

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The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), representing non-teaching staff across Nigerian universities, has appealed to President Bola Tinubu for assistance in securing the release of four months’ withheld salaries owed during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration.

The union emphasized that the timely payment of these salaries would greatly support its members in celebrating the upcoming Christmas season.

During their National Executive Council meeting, SSANU President Mohammed Ibrahim conveyed this appeal through a communiqué, urging President Tinubu to honor his commitment regarding the N35,000 wage award as well.

Previously, President Tinubu had instructed the release of the withheld salaries to university workers, yet both academic and non-academic staff members are still awaiting the disbursement of these payments.

The SSANU President said, “NEC-in-session acknowledged the approval by the government to pay the 4 months salaries of our members withheld as a result of the last industrial action embarked by the Union.

“NEC-in-session deliberated on the undue delay by the government in paying the four months salaries and therefore urges the government to pay the money without further delay. This is to boost the already fading confidence of our members in government.”

Ibrahim also joined its counterpart in Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to celebrate the recent pulling out of the universities from the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment platform, describing it as a good step in the right direction.

“NEC-in-session appreciates the decision of the federal government to exempt all tertiary institutions from IPPIS. While commending this decision, it, however, encourages the government to critically consult the Management of Universities and labour unions on a workable, reliable, seamless, and acceptable approach in transiting to the new regime to capture the peculiarities of university workers.

“This is with a view to forestall the complicated problems that plagued the use of IPPIS. NEC, therefore, urges the government to consider improving the old system with some latest features in the U3PS payment solution presented to it by the JAC of SSANU and NASU,” he said.

Speaking on the N35,000 wage award, Ibrahim said, “NEC-in-session recalls the approval of the government to increase the salaries of university workers by 25% and 35%.

“Though this proposal is a far cry from the salary increase demanded by SSANU, we regarded it as an award by the government and therefore expected that the award should have been implemented by now.”