By Lucky Isibor
The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) have condemned the increase in electricity tariffs in the nation’s Universities, arguing that the ivory towers are not revenue generating agencies. The congress noted that the increase in electricity tariffs caused the recent crisis at the University of Benin which resulted in the closure of the institution and called on the federal government to grant special status on electricity tariffs to Universities.
CONUA made it’s position known in a communique issued at the end of its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Benin between Friday, 12 July and Sunday 14 July.
The communique which was signed by the president of CONUA, Comrade ‘Niyi Sunmonu also called on President Ahmed Bola Tinubu to expedite action in implementing its promised programmes to cushion the effects of the removal of fuel subsidy and the floating of the Nigerian Naira in the foreign exchange market.
“The NEC frowned at the recent hike in the electricity tariff in the nation’s universities. It therefore proposes two
measures: the Universities should be granted special status on these electricity tariff because they are not
income-generating institutions, in the short term and on a long term, the Federal Government should work with
the relevant departments in the university to generate electricity.
“The NEC reviewed the state of the nation and noted the excruciating pains Nigerians have been going through as a result of the removal of fuel subsidy since 29th May, 2023 and the subsequent policy of floating the Naira. The Union further notes that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR, has assured the nation that a series of measures are being put in place to alleviate the suffering of the people. CONUA-NEC urges the President to expedite action on those measures, particularly the announcement of a commensurate minimum wage and other measures that will cushion the effect of this untold hardship being currently experienced by the citizens.
CONUA which is affiliated to the Trade Union Congress (TUC), also frawned at the continuos withholding of three and half months salary of its members by the federal government for the strike action embarked upon by a sister union which CONUA members were not part of.
While calling for the Honourable Minister Of Education’s intervention in facilitating the inclusion of CONUA in all TETFUND programs and composition of
committees involving representation of academic unions, CONUA also called for the payment of promotion arrears of members to forestall unrest in the nation’s Universities.
“The continued withholding of the three and a half months salary of members of CONUA due to the strike action embarked upon by a sister academic staff union in the Universities is rather unfair. CONUA, as a Union, has consistently maintained that it never declared and was not part of the strike action. What the government has done was to lump together those who embarked on strike with those who did not! This is unjust, and is tantamount to punishing the innocent along with the guilty. Through its unwarranted punishments of CONUA members, the government is inadvertently promoting the use of strikes as means of pursuing workers’ demands. CONUA-NEC therefore notes with apprehension that failure to process and pay these outstanding salaries could throw the Universities into serious crises and jeopardize the peace currently being enjoyed.
“It was discovered that when the payment of the four months (March, April, May and June 2022)
salaries out of the seven and a half months of pay withheld by the government as a result of the strike action embarked upon by the other Union Was paid, through the Presidential prerogative, the third party deductions
were not released and up till now they have not. Information on its whereabout and when it would be released was not provided by the Federal Government. The NEC Is demanding, unequivocally, that the agencies of government involved be directed immediately to release these third party remittances, without further delay.
“Many academic staff have promotion arrears spanning a period of up to seven years, in some cases. The delay in promotion, in most cases, is not the fault of these concerned academics and it will amount to double jeopardy if, having delayed their promotion, they are made to suffer untold hardship with the delay in paying the promotion arrears. This dispiriting state of affairs should be addressed expeditiously to enhance the diligence of the many academics affected by the counter-productive delay in the payment of promotion arrears. The NEC implores both the Federal and State Governments owing these arrears to pay the affected academics without further delays”.
“Pension Act was intended to stop the humiliation and misery of pensioners who characteristically had problems with getting their pension entitlements years after retirement. Retirees under the 2014 act therefore looked forward to timeous payment of their entitlements upon
the conclusion of necessary documentation. The FG has failed to pay pension entitlements for over one year
after retirement. The sad implication of this sad reality, NEC observed, is that some subscribers who retired two
to two and a half years ago have not yet received their pension entitlements and are not covered by the Federal Government’s fund release so far. This is especially unacceptable for university academic staff who normally retire at the age of 70. We therefore passionately appeal to the Federal Government To look into this distressing matter urgently and help to solve the avoidable problem. CONUA-NEC is advocating for the payment of at least 50% of the pension, at least five years before retirement to the beneficiaries.
“The NEC noted with sadness the continuous discrimination by TETFUND in its activities, particularly its exclusion from the reconstitution of TETFUND National Research Fund Screening and Monitoring Committee (NRFS&MC)”. The NEC requests for the Honourable Minister Of Education’s urgent intervention in facilitating the inclusion of CONUA in all TETFUND programs and composition of committees involving representation of academic unions”.
While calling for the expeditious payment of Academic Earned Allowances (EAA), CONUA called on the federal government to lift the embargo on employment of academic staff in Universities so that more lecturers can be employed.
“The Federal Government agreed to pay the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA) for excess work done by academics in Federal Universities since the country
is battling with shortage of manpower. This EAA payment was supposed to cover academic sessions from
2008/2009 (Rain Semester) onwards. The Federal Government has so far released four tranches of EAA in 2013,
2017,2019 and 2022. These releases did not cover up to four sessions completely, not to talk of the entire fourteen and a half sessions for which the payment is required. CONUA-NEC is using this medium to demand for release of the EAA to cover these aforementioned periods and lift embargo on employment so that more academic staff can be engaged”.