Our plans to pay JAC, SSANU, NAAT N8b in 5 weeks – Ngige
Nigeria’s Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, has revealed the plans by the Federal Government to source for N8 billion within five weeks to pay the Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities.
Ngige said it was the resolution reached at a conciliation meeting with the Non-Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities in Abuja.
The Non-Academic staff Union of Nigeria is made up of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (NASU), Senior Staff Academic of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT).
The resolution was jointly signed by Ngige, Mr. Sani Suleiman, NAAT President; Mr. Peters Adeyemi, NASU General Secretary; Mr. Samson Ugwoke, SSANU President; and Prof. Anthony Anwukah, Minister of State for Education.
Ngige also said that part of the N8 billion would be used to pay members of the Academic Staff Universities (ASUU), University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN), and the University of llorin (UNILORIN), who were not paid at the last disbursement.
He also said that the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission was to rework the December 15 Call Circular on University Staff Schools.
“This is taking into consideration the observations of JAC of NAAT, NASU and SSANU with a view to ensuring that it complies with the National Industrial Court (NIC) judgment,” he said.
Ngige also said that the Federal Ministry of Education reported that the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation has started payment of salary shortfalls, adding that the process was still ongoing.
He said Ministry of Education was to synergise with the concerned institutions to ensure compliance with Presidential Initiative on Continuous Audit (PICA) requirements to facilitate payments of JAC members in the universities that were yet to comply.
The minister, however, said on the issue of the non-implementation of CONTISS 14 and 15 for technologists, the Ministry of Education has made submissions to the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.
He said that the submission was for onward transmission to the National Council on Establishment (NEC) meeting slated for March 18, in Owerri, adding that the Ministry of Education was expected to report the outcome in five weeks.
Ngige also said the Ministry of Education had put forward an application for the visitation panel to the Presidency and that the main trust of the visitation was to re-energise the institution, unearth corruption, among others.
He said that it was also agreed that the Ministry of Education would set in motion appropriate machinery for the release of White Paper in respect of the previous visitation panel already with government.
He also added that no worker would be victimised on account of the industrial action.
Ngige said that government and JAC leadership have agreed that the ongoing strike would be suspended by March 14, after due consultation with their National Executive Councils (NECs).
