Posted by By GABRIEL DIKE, Osogbo on
Worried by the economic hardship in the country, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) has made a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to as matter of urgency review the wages and salaries of workers to conform to the present realities on the ground.
Worried by the economic hardship in the country, the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Polytechnics (SSANIP) has made a passionate appeal to the Federal Government to as matter of urgency review the wages and salaries of workers to conform to the present realities on the ground.
The association in a statement signed by the National Public Relations Officer Mr. Agboola Akinbode said the reason for its call was based on the inflationary trends in the economy which have eroded the purchasing power of the average public servant.
The polytechnic senior staff also tasked the Federal Government to expedite action to facilitate the immediate take-off of the National Commission for Polytechnics (NCP) as is obtained in the universities and the colleges of education which has a separate commission.
Akinbode who disclosed that the decisions were taken at the 23rd General Executive Council (GEC) meeting at Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic noted that the current inflation in the country is such that their wages and salaries can no longer take the workers home.
He said other decisions arrived at the two-day meeting include the displeasure of SSANIP at the failure of the Federal Government to implement CONTISS 15 in the polytechnics and colleges of technology in the country two years after the introduction of the salary structure.
According to him, the council at the meeting called on the federal and state governments to implement CONTISS 15 in the polytechnics, monotechnics and colleges of education without further delay, noting that 'council commended those state governments that have implemented CONTISS in their polytechnics and call on the remaining state governments to do same without delay."
Akinbode disclosed that the council meeting frowned at the continued delay in the payment of arrears on monetization whose financial implication it said has been computed and submitted by the various institutions to the relevant authority and appealed to release funds to facilitate payment of the arrears.
The image maker of SSANIP also revealed that the meeting condemned the loss of 2007 capital allocation by polytechnics due to NBTE's refusal to conduct defence.
He said based on the incident, the council kicked against the clandestine moves by the NBTE to re-state the routing of grant for polytechnics through board which was viewed as a total failure in the past.
On the payment of leave grant, he stated that SSANIP during meeting expressed concern over the lumping of staff leave grant in the CONTISS structure consequent upon which the allowance is being taxed and thus it called on government to separate from the allowance from the salary to enable staff enjoy the full benefit.
The association also expressed concern over the insecurity of lives and properties of the populace, especially in the Niger Delta region and tasked the Federal Government and stakeholders to find a lasting solution to the ugly trend which said constitute threats to national security.