. Describe the motion as inadvisable
Non-teaching employees at universities have opposed the current coverage of the Federal Authorities via the Tertiary Schooling Belief Fund, which prevents them from attending lectures overseas as a result of alleged shortages of funds.
The Senior Workers Affiliation of Nigerian Universities, in a letter to the Govt Secretary of TETFUND, mentioned it thought of the notification permitting solely school to attend lectures overseas as discriminatory, misguided, ill-advised and a denial of the rules on which a authorities company akin to TETFUND ought to function.
SSANU within the letter signed by its nationwide president, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, additional acknowledged that TETFUND’s motion was able to delaying the event of personnel and even threatening industrial concord inside the system.
Do not forget that TETFUND had on July 17, in a letter to all heads of its beneficiary establishments with the title, “Convention Attendance Change Charge Replace Discover”, signed by Abubakar Adamu, Director of Coaching and Tutorial Workers Growth to the Govt Secretary, mentioned that as a result of scarcity of funds, non-teaching employees have been suspended from attending conferences overseas.
The TETFUND letter mentioned partly: “Chances are you’ll recall that there was a serious financial coverage reform within the nation which established a single alternate charge for the Naira the place the Central Financial institution of Nigeria has adopted a brand new floating Naira alternate charge coverage and this primarily permits market forces to find out the alternate charge.
“To adjust to the coverage, the Fund has adopted the next alternate charge for the verification of international convention attendance intervention: USD 746.89, GBP-948.075, EURO – 814.76.
“Consequently, the Directorate has authorized the suspension of non-teaching personnel to international congresses as a result of lack of funds. In view of the above, please concentrate on the alternate charge and be certain that solely school with proof of labor accepted for presentation are nominated for international conferences.”
However SSANU in a letter to the secretary mentioned: “The eye of the Senior Universities Workers Affiliation of Nigeria (SSANU) is drawn to a notification dated July 17, 2023, emanating from the Tertiary Schooling Belief Fund (TETFUND) signed by one Barr. Abubakar Adamu, Director of Tutorial Coaching of the Govt Secretary.
“That notification which fastened alternate charges for Overseas Convention Help Intervention verification according to the Central Financial institution of Nigeria (CBN) coverage of floating the Naira, went additional to maliciously and in poor style droop any additional consideration of non-teaching employees for international conferences as a result of ‘scarcity of funds’.
“SSANU notes with dismay the motion of TETFUND and holds unequivocally that such an ill-advised transfer would negatively have an effect on the company governance of Nigerian universities and the job efficiency of non-teaching employees, who’re the bulk who run the college system.
“We discover it appalling that TETFUND has determined to not take into account non-teaching employees for international conferences when, ab-initio, there’s a 70:30 skewed allocation for coaching that had by no means favored non-teaching employees. It’s painful that non-teaching employees in tertiary establishments need to expertise additional discrimination as a result of ‘underfunding’.
It additional mentioned: “SSANU due to this fact finds this notification by TETFUND to be discriminatory, misguided, misguided and a denial of the rules on which a authorities company akin to TETFUND ought to function.
“SSANU additionally maintains that this motion by TETFUND is able to retarding the event of personnel and even threatening industrial concord inside the system:
particularly at a time when the brand new administration of President Bola Tinubu is working exhausting to make sure labor peace in our tertiary establishments.
“Due to this fact, we urge TETFUND with out hesitation to withdraw such discover and put in place a mechanism to cope with honest consideration of Convention purposes from every class of employees in Nigerian tertiary establishments.
“We additionally suggest that TETFUND develop pointers that entrench the rules of fairness, equity, and justice within the consideration of all requests for convention and coaching employees each native and international.”
The assertion added: “In conclusion, SSANU advises that TETFUND, as a accountable company of the federal authorities, ought to have interaction in actions that will unite our universities and never become involved in pushing ill-considered schemes that will result in polarization of Nigerian universities and create a disaster inside our citadel of studying.”
The letter was despatched with a duplicate to the Everlasting Secretary, Federal Ministry of Schooling, Abuja.