NAN-H-86
Funding
By Bukola Adewumi
Abuja, May 24, 2017 (NAN) The President, Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Mr Ayuba Wabba, has decried the shortfall in universities funding, saying that the situation is affecting the quality of research and payment of salaries.
The NLC president said this while on a familiarisation tour to the headquarters of the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) in Abuja on Wednesday.
Wabba said that in view of the situation, NLC was ready to engage the government to ensure improved funding of the universities.
According to him, the situation, which had affected the quality of research and payment of salaries, should not be taken lightly.
“Education plays a major role in the development of the nation’s economy and the union is ready to see that it gets proper attention,” he said.
He also lamented the inability of the Federal Government to fully implement the 2009 agreement reached with the unions in the academic sector.
Wabba regretted that the country was plagued with leadership challenge, saying that leaders were not ready to abide with agreement.
“No country can make progress when its education system is faulty; this is a very serious issue and we must follow it up.
“The challenge in the country’s educational system is partly the reason the nation is still struggling,” he said.
Wabba, however, assured the union that the NLC would move to unionise workers in the private sector.
According to the NLC leader, without unions, most employers will continue to exploit their workers.
“We will engage private universities, who refuse their members the right to unionise,” he said.
Earlier, Mr Sani Suleiman, President, NAAT, also lamented the nonpayment of salaries due to the shortfall in universities funding.
Suleiman said that NAAT had started the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement, while calling on NLC to support the union to realise its dreams.
“As workers who build the wealth of the union, it is discouraging that we cannot live comfortably; our salaries cannot even take us home any longer,” he said.
He said that the union signed an agreement with the Federal Government in 2009, but seven years after, nothing had been done.
He said that only N30 billion earned allowance was approved, leaving an outstanding of N770 billion.
“We want this to be implemented across board and we want NLC to intervene so that the government can see reasons for the implementation,” he said. (NAN)
BOL/MAS/AFA
Edited by Moses Solanke/Felix Ajide