SSANU joins ASUU-TSU strike, paralyses Taraba varsity activities

Academic and administrative activities, at the time of filing this report, have been totally paralysed at Taraba State University.

This was necessitated following the decision of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) of the institution to follow the path of the academic staff of the school, who had earlier this week downed their working implements to press home their demands.

Announcing the withdrawal of their services to the university yesterday via a press statement, the state chairman of SSANU, Bitrus Joseph Ajibauka, said the action follows both the state government and the university management’s lukewarm attitudes towards their long overdue demands.

The union noted in the statement that it has been shortchanged, neglected, and left out by the university’s management and the state government for failing to address its numerous challenges.
The statement read: “This is to notify the general public that the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU)Taraba State University Branch has from today commenced a total comprehensive and indefinite strike action. We have withdrawn our services to the Taraba State University, pending when our demands are addressed.

“This action is imperative because we have been shortchanged, neglected and left out by the University Management and the Taraba State Government for failing to address our demands.
“We want both the Taraba state government and the university management to address the following demands before we can resume our services.

“The Outstanding salary /Allowances, Unpaid full salaries of September 2022, Unpaid full salaries of October 2022, the Withheld 28% of June 2022 salary balance, the Withheld 51% of November 2022 salary balance and the Withheld 44% of December 2022 salary balance.

“The promotion arrears balance of 2016 to 2020 promotion arrears. The lack of pension scheme. The Contributory Pension scheme of the university since its inception in 2008 to date, is against the provision of the Pension Act and is a threat to the future and job security of our members.

“The dissolution of the Taraba State University Governing Council by the Visitor Dr Agbu Kefas, on the 1st June 2023 is affecting the performance of the University because the University is now operating without Council.”

Wondering why the school management and the state have been turning a deaf ear to the plights of the union members, they noted, “It is heart-wrenching to report that Taraba State University, Jalingo, is still using the N18,000 National Minimum Wage Bill of December 8, 2009. Across the four salary structures, it was implemented in April 2010.

They lamented that the N30,000 National Minimum Wage of 2019, the 25/35 per cent salary consequential adjustment of 2023, and the N70,000 new National Minimum Wage of 2024, as enacted by the National Minimum Wage (Amendment) Act 2024, have not been implemented in the university by the university management and the Taraba State Government.

The statement adds, “Our members in this institution are yet to benefit from the N35,000 wage award per month as approved by President Bola Tinubu. The balance of earned administrative allowances (EAA) for non-teaching staff from 2009 to 2013 has not been paid.”

It would be recalled that before embarking on industrial action earlier this week, ASUU-TSU had tied the deaths of three of their members to the lukewarm attitude of the incumbent state government in extending the much-desired olive branch to the union.