SSANU Calls For Sack Of NUC Chairman

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has called for the dismissal of the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian University Commission (NUC) over an alleged mastermind of government’s decision to withdraw funding of staff schools, otherwise called demonstration schools in the universities.
The National President of the Association, Comrade Samson Ugwoke, told a news conference in Abuja that the NUC is conspiring with other agencies of government to scrap the staff schools.

Meanwhile, the NUC at an earlier news conference said the Commission was only carrying out instructions from the Federal Government and urged SSANU to direct its complaint to the appropriate authorities.

According to NUC’s Director of Information and Public Relations, Mr Ibrahim Yakasai, the Commission was only carrying out its duties, adding that the said circular did not emanate from the Commission.

Staff Schools are private enterprises established by the universities to primarily care for the basic academic needs of university staff, which the government has funded since their establishment decades ago.

SSANU had last week threatened to paralyse activities in universities, if the decision to scrap Staff Schools and sack the teachers was not reversed.

The Chairman of SSANU in Unilorin, Adeleke Alfanla, made this threat at a protest held at the University of Ilorin, Kwara State.

The South-West branch of SSANU wondered why agencies like the military are allowed to operate primary and secondary schools from their budget while the universities would not be allowed.

They called for the resignation of the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Universities Commission (NUC), Professor Julius Okoje, for being part of the plot to sack the teachers.

University of Ilorin Primary School is one of the 24 schools being operated by Federal Universities across the country and the school’s teachers joined in the protest around the university premises to express their anger.

They stated that an agreement had been signed with the government six years ago for the total funding of the schools to be from the university’s budget. They wondered how a circular will now be issued categorising them as ghost workers.

The SSANU Chairman, Adeleke Alfanla, called on President Muhammadu Buhari to intervene in the matter to guard against collapse of the education sector, warning that federal universities will be grounded if the decision is not changed.