The National Universities Commission (NUC) on Friday advised the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) to channel its protest over funding of staff schools to the appropriate quarters.
NUC’s Executive Secretary, Prof. Julius Okojie, who briefed newsmen in Abuja, decried incessant attacks on the leadership of NUC by SSANU over the circular stopping the funding of staff schools with budgetary allocations.
Okojie, represented by Malam Ibrahim Yakasai, Acting Director, Information and Public Relations, said that NUC only conveyed the circular which originated from the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC).
Okjie said that it was spelt out in the circular that all inquires on the issue should be directed to the commission.
“The attention of NUC has been drawn to continued, unwarranted statements on the NUC by the leadership of SSANU both at national and branch levels.
“This in respect to circular from NSIWC, sent to all federal universities on the issue of funding of staff schools established by Federal Government agencies.
“The leadership of SSANU has, in the last few months, issued several press statements and published articles deliberately distorting facts and misleading the public on the true position of the matter for ulterior motives.
“SSANU has been releasing statements accusing the commission of being responsible for the decision to stop funding of staff schools established by Federal Government agencies.
“The commission wishes to advise the leadership of SSANU to desist from this falsehood and inform its members on the true position of things.”
He said that on Aug. 28, 2014, NUC received a circular addressed to the executive, legislative and judicial arms of government.
Okojie said that the circular, entitled, “Funding of Staff Schools Established by the Federal Government Institutions,’’ was for immediate conveyance to all federal universities on government’s decision on funding of staff schools.
The circular, copies of which were made available to newsmen, reads as follows: “Some MDAs which have staff schools are funding the salaries and allowances of the staff of such schools from the federal budget.
“This action has led to further increase in the wage bill of the Federal Government at this time when the nation is thinking on how to minimise recurrent expenditure.
“Staff schools are established by the MDAs as private enterprises and should, therefore, be funded by the institutions that established them without transferring the burden of their wage bill to the Federal Government.
“Federal Government directs that MDAs should stop forthwith, funding of the salaries and allowances of the staff of their schools from the federal budgetary allocation.
“Any ministry that fails to do so will be appropriately sanctioned. All inquiries to this circular should be directed to the NSIWC.’’
Okojie said that all circulars going to universities passed through NUC, adding that if it were an increase in staff salary, the circular would still pass through NUC.
According to him, SSANU can also channel its protest to the Implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) consisting of government nominees and officials of the unions.
Okojie explained that IMC was like a standing committee set up to handle all issues that relating to the Federal Government-ASUU agreement and any other new issues.
He said that NUC, ordinarily, would not join issues with a trade union operating in institutions it regulates but was pushed to clear the air as its image was being tarnished. NAN
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