The Executive Secretary, National Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Abdullahi Yusufu Ribadu, FCVSN, last Friday, 2 May, 2025, received in audience officials of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) led by its National President and Chairman Joint Action Committee (JAC), Comrade Mohammad H. Ibrahim, which came to congratulate and wish him well following his recent appointment as the Chief Executive Officer of the Commission.
In his remarks, the National President of the union, Comrade Ibrahim commended NUC for the friendly atmosphere existing between both bodies, disclosing that the top management of SSANU was in Abuja for the meeting of the Joint Action Committee and decided to seize the opportunity to pay a courtesy visit to the Commission.
He informed Professor Ribadu that SSANU as a union is structured into six geopolitical zones with a Deputy National President and six Vice-President positions.
The National Pesident highlighted that SSANU is facing serious threat which he feels is unnecessary, explaining that even within the university circle it is been pushed aside with all sort of discriminatory names brandished against its officers like complementary and support staff, among others,.
He stated that the latest in the series of attacks is the issue of N50 billion released funds which was fought for by all staff, including both teaching and non-teaching staff of universities, remarking that SSANU had to extract this commitment from government to pay earned allowances when their colleagues in the Acdemic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) with all due respect were on strike.
Comrade Ibrahim reiterated that SSANU met with top government officials including the former Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu alongside immediate past Execuutive Secretary of NUC, Professor Abubakar Adamu Rasheed and the former Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige in the Villa, where government committed to releasing N50billion to wade-off issues of earned allowances and allow the universties to subsequently use Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to pay any other accumulated allowances as contained in the agreement.
He said the leadership of SSANU was taken apart when they saw a memo from the Minister of Education signed by the Permanent Secretary which gave impression that the N50billion was meant for ASUU, which made them to protest.
He however, expressed deep appreciation for the quick interventions of the Executive Secretary NUC and the Honourable Minister of Education which ensured that the issue was addressed, clearly declaring that the money was meant for all cetgories of workers.
He commended and encouraged Professor Ribadu to continue ensure equity and justice in the administration of the Nigerian University System (NUS).
The SSANU scribe expressed the union’s worry over the ability of government to resolve the issue of renegotiation of the 2009 agreement following its lack luster tactic since the emergence of Yahale Ahmed who gave a time of six months time limit to resolve all issues but lamented that till otady the issues are still there.
He also raised the issue of the payment of 25% and 35% increment in salary arrears for universities workers which needed urgent attention of the government.
Responding, the Executive Secretary, NUC, Professor Ribadu, who thanked them for the visit said NUC remained home to all university staff and the unions in the NUS, stressing that he was looking forward to the day all unions and staff would work together for the same course as all were pursuing the same purpose.
He advised the unions not to be to territorial in the discharge of their duties but to seek for the common good which will at the end of the day advance the universties.
On issue of the N50billion released funds, Professor Ribadu said the money will be paid directly to the universities while a committee has been setup by the NUC to manage the disbursement to universities.
He said for 25% and 35% arrears, there are some financial constraints which the government is working to rectify and assured the unions that the monies will be eventually paid.
The Executive Secretary advised university unions to be more circumspect to discussing problems with government rather than embarking on strike which is very unnecessary and counterproductive.
He pledged to continue to do his best to see there is equity and fairness in the NUS as everybody remains important under his watch. At the meeting were the NUC Deputive Executive Secretary (DES) Administration, Mr. Chris J. Maiyaki; Acting Directors of: Establishment of Private Universities (DEPU), Barr. Samuel Sardauna Adejoh; Human Resource (DHR), Mrs. Victoria Omorodion and Executive Secretary’s Office (DESO), Mr. Jubril Momoh.