Kogi varsity workers protest over IPPIS, N40bn sharing

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities, Federal University Lokoja, Kogi State, on Tuesday, embarked on a peaceful protest, to herald the three-day warning strike notice it issued the Federal Government.

As early as 8 am, the placard-carrying university workers took over the gates and other areas on the Adankolo campus of the institution.

In a statement by the chairman, SSANU/Joint Action Committee, Uche Onyedi, the workers threatened a complete shutdown of the varsity in the event of failure by the government to implement the Memorandum of Understanding entered into by the parties.

He said, “You recall that the JAC of NASU and SSANU had a 14-days warning strike which started from midnight of 4th of October and ended on 12 midnight 18th of October, 2020.

“As a result of the warning strike by NASU/SSANU, an eight-point MoU was signed by JAC of SSANU and NASU on one hand, other stakeholders of the Federal Government on the other hand, at the instance of the Federal Ministry of LaLolbour and Employment, Abuja, on the 20th of October, 2020, in which a committee was constituted to look at our demands with a view to mapping out ways of solving them.

“Very unfortunately, the Federal Government reneged on its promises to implement the agreements contained in the MoU.

“You are aware that there are glaring inconsistencies in the IPPIS payment platform, non-payment of allowances, non-payment of arrears of minimum wage consequential adjustments, delay in renegotiation of the 3009 agreements, very poor funding of state-owned universities, lack of visitation panels to universities for a very long time, non-payment of retirement benefits.

“We are asking the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency implement the MoU now, to avoid closing down the university for another year