By Osaigbovo Iguobaro
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has cautioned the Federal government against the establishment of new Universities in view of numerous challenges confronting the existing ones.
The association explained that funds being budgeted for such ventures should be used to strengthen existing Universities for effective service delivery.
SSANU said only 10 percent of its agreement with the federal government in 2009 have been honoured.
National president of the association, Comrade, Mohammed Ibrahim stated this during the 2nd regular zonal executive council (NEC) meeting of the South-South zone held at the University of Benin in Edo State.
Ibrahim said: “Today in Nigeria, there are a lot of misplaced priority- proliferation of Universities.
“The present varsities are not fully catered for. Members of staff are not paid correctly; yet we see establishment of universities day-in-day out”.
Continuing, the SSANU president said the association is currently engaging the federal government to correct the abnormalities in the hazard allowance of members.
He described the Integrated Personnel and Pay System (IPPS) as satanic, adding that under the scheme, “the Vice Chancellor of a University cannot employ a single Staff”.
Vice Chancellor of UNIBEN, Prof. Lillian Salami admonished varsity workers to move beyond personal gains and be committed to the sustenance of the University”.
According to the VC, “Of the 22 academic programmes that were recently accredited, we (UNIBEN) have 80 percent”.
In his welcome address, Comrade Brodricks Osewa, UNIBEN SSANU branch, described the meeting as strategic and urge members to keep faith with the Union.
