Corruption: Varsity workers seek NUC’s eyes on OAU, UniAbuja, FUNAAB, FUTA

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NIGERIA: STAKEHOLDERS in the intellectual ivory towers have urged the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission (NUC), Prof. Adamu Abubakar Rasheed, to beam his searchlight on the level of corruption going on in four universities in the country.

The call came partly from the aggrieved workers in the nation’s universities who ended their five-day warning strike to resume work on Friday after negotiation with Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige and some representatives of the government.

The institutions named by the stakeholders are Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, University of Abuja, Federal Capital Territory, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Ogun State and Federal University of Technology, Akure, Ondo State.

The advice to Rasheed was contained in a decision reached at the end of a meeting held between the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Senator Chris Ngige, the Executive Secretary himself and the protesting workers at the nation’s universities.

“The Executive Secretary (ES) of the National Universities Commission (NUC) should intensify his actions against corruption in the following universities:

Obafemi Awolowo Univerisity, Ile-Ife, University of Abuja, Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta, Federal University of Technology, Akure,” the participants said in Abuja on Thursday in an agreement signed by five representatives of unions and government to end the five-day warning strike embarked upon by the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU), and Senior Staff of Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) under the umbrella of Joint Action Committee.

They also pleaded with Rasheed to do all to protect informants and whistleblowers within the university system from intimidation and victimization.

“It should be noted that the Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment lauded the Federal Ministry of Education for constituting Visitation Panels which will be inaugurated possible next week and is expected to complete its assignment within three (3) weeks from the date of inauguration,” they also said in the conclusion reached after the conciliation meeting.

In attendance at the parley are Ngige; Comrade Sani Suleiman, President, NAAT; Comrade Solomon Alfa, Vice-

President, SSANU (North); Prince Peter Adeyemi, General Secretary, NASU; Dr. Jamila Shu’ara, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education; O.C. Illoh, Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment; Prof. Abdubakar Rasheed, Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC); High Chief Richard O. Egbule, Chairman, National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission; H.A. Alayaki, Director, Office of the Head of Civil Service of the Federation; Ajibola A. Ibrahim, from the Office of the Secretary to the Government of the Federation; Mrs. J.E. Amahian, Acting Director, TUSIR.

Those who signed the conclusions reached are Suleiman, Alfa, Adeyemi, Shu’ara, Illoh.

Those at the parley, who deliberated on 10 issues which included the implementation of earned allowance, judgement of the NICN on staff schools in the universities, poor funding as against UNESCO recommendations, shortfalls in the payment of salaries, non-implementation of CONTISS14 and 15 for Technologists, corruption in the university system, also agreed to work with other organs of government to reach an accord on the festering issues.

“The solution to the issue in dispute does not lie solely on the Federal Ministry of Education but in conjunction with the Office of the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation due to the fact that a new scheme of service would be required to accommodate the Trade Union’ demand,” they said.

They added: “The meeting noted that the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation cannot unilaterally approve a scheme of service but is mandated to seek the approval of the Council on Establishment.

“In this regard whenever an agreed scheme of service is presented by the Federal Ministry of Education, in pursuant of this goal the implementation Monitoring Committee (IMC) should write to the Federal Ministry of Education

through NUC Executive Secretary on the matter and the Federal Ministry of Education is expected to send memo to the Head of the Civil Service of the Federation.”

They also agreed thus: “On other issues in dispute such as lack of good governance, inadequate infrastructure in the universities, and too many abandoned projects, the meeting agreed that the Dr. Babalakin, SAN Committee would consider holistically these other issues.”

“In view of the above the meeting urged the members of JAC to suspend the on-going ‘warning’ strike.  JAC agreed to suspend the strike with effect from Friday 20^th January 2017,” they also decided.

They also said: “After due consideration by the leadership of JAC, they stated the need to convey the outcome of the meeting to their respective congresses to suspend the strike.”

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