THE Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), University of Lagos Branch, yesterday protested what they called the heavily lopsided and unjust allocation formula adopted in the disbursement of the N50 billion approved by the Federal Government for university-based unions.

In a joint statement seen by The Guardian, SSANU acting chair, Adenaiya Olugbenga and NASU chair, Olayinka Abiodun, they both rejected the current allowance, saying it must be free and fair.

According to Abiodun, allocating a whooping 80 per cent of the funds to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and only 20 per cent to the three other unions, namely, NASU SSANU and NAAT, is not only unfair but undermines the critical role played by non-teaching staff in the smooth functioning and development of Nigerian universities.

He added that it is important to remind the government and the public that the said N50 billion is supposed to take care of part of the earned allowance arrears, a product of the collective bargaining agreement reached following the 2022 industrial action jointly undertaken by the JAC of SSANU and NASU as well as the Federal Government.

They demanded an immediate review of the disbursement formula to reflect equity, fairness and the spirit of mutual respect that guided the negotiations leading to this fund.

“We call on the Federal Government to act swiftly in reversing this decision to prevent avoidable disharmony, crisis and disruption of academic and administrative activities across campuses. We appreciate our members for their patience and calm disposition in the face of this provocation. We assure you that the National Leadership of JAC is fully engaged and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring this injustice is addressed. We are committed to pursuing this struggle to a logical and favorable conclusion,” he said.