The Joint Action Committee, JAC, of the Academic and Non Academic Staff Unions of tertiary institutions in Bauchi State have expressed concern over the non implementation of promotion benefit, annual increment and consequential adjustments to its members
This is contained in a statement jointly signed by JAC’s chairman and secretary, Abdulkadir Mohammed and Ibrahim Bala-Abdallah, in Bauchi on Wednesday.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the members of the association are state owned tertiary institutions including Abubakar Tatari Ali Polytechnic, Bauchi, Aminu Sale College of Education, Azare, and AD Rufai College of Legal and General Studies, Misau.
Others are Adamu Tafawa Balewa College of Education, Kangere and Bauchi State College of Agriculture, Bauchi.
The unions were also worried about persistent omission of members from the payroll despite the genuineness of their appointments after they passed workers’ verification exercise embarked by the state government.
The statement reads in part: “Series of observations have been forwarded on their cases to appropriate authorities but to no avail.
“It is our belief that most of these problems are compounded by some ‘invisible’ consultants against the initial good intention of His Excellency, Gov. Bala Mohammed cleansing ghost workers from the state payroll, without jeopardising any genuine civil servant.”
The unions, however, said that the state government should note that promotion of staff in the institutions was not just tied to waiting periods but involved conference presentations, journal publications, chapter publications and book publications.
The union also said that the promotion of staff also involved registration with professional bodies, community development and stagnation without additional degrees.
It stressed that all the above were capital intensive and caused financial stress, especially with the prevailing global economic challenges.
“We have written series of letters containing details of some or most of these anomalies but without tangible result.
“Our fear is that our amiable governor might be blocked from having first hand information about the whole scenario.
“We are, therefore, left with no alternative than to follow this channel before it’s too late,” it said.
NAN
