SSANU extends tenure of embattled officials in PLASU

The national headquarters of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities has extended the tenure of its embattled interim executive committee in Plateau State University, Bokkos.
A letter to that effect, signed by Solomon Alfa, the SSANU National Vice President (North), and dated February 23, indicated that the interim executive committee would hold forte “until the branch is stable for a substantive executive committee”.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the PLASU chapter of the union was inaugurated on November 23, 2016, with the interim executive committee given a mandate to conduct election within three months and hand over to substantive officials.
The interim committee has, however, been locked in a major disagreement with the university’s management over the payment of check-off dues.
While the university has insisted that it must formally register the union before being recognised for such privileges, the union has argued that it had been registered as a trade union by the Registrar of Trade Unions.
The university has also insisted that the union’s members must write individually, asking management to tamper with their wages, a directive the union has rejected as it insisted that the list of members and minutes of congress meetings were enough confirmation of consent.
NAN reports that the disagreement degenerated into the issuance of queries to the branch Chairman, Timnan Rimdap, and Secretary, Dusu Sambo, after which the duo were suspended via letters signed by the Registrar, Amos Mallo.
The letters, dated January 27, 2017, indicated that during the suspension, which is for three months, the officials would be paid just half of their basic salaries.
They are also barred from entering the school premises unless permitted by the Vice Chancellor, Registrar or Acting Chief Security Officer.
But with the expiration of the tenure on February 23 while the top officials will still be on suspension, the headquarters decided to extend their tenure to avoid a vacuum.
The letter said: “The interim branch executive committee shall continue to be the official representatives of SSANU in Plateau State University, Bokkos, until the election of substantive executives.”
Other members of the interim committee include: Tabitha Nyam (Treasurer), Jan Gakchime (Public Relations Officer), as well as Lucy Didel (Woman Leader).