Crisis Looms as Plateau Varsity Suspends SSANU Chairman, Secretary

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The Plateau State University, Bokkos has suspended the Chairman and Secretary of the institution’s chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU), Mr. Rimdap Timnan and Mr. Dusu Yaro respectively, citing unsatisfactory response to the queries issued then bordering on SSANU issues and alleged absence from duties.

The suspension letters dated January 27 and signed by the Registrar, Mr. Amos Mallo indicated that the suspension was for three months during which they would receive only half of their basic salaries. Timnan is the Head of the ICT Unit, while Yaro is in the Academic Planning Unit.

The letters barred them from entering the university premises during the period “except with the express permission of the vice-chancellor, registrar or acting chief security officer”. They were also directed to hand over their duties and identity cards to the most senior officers in their departments.

The management of the institution had accused them of “insubordination, lack of respect to constituted authority and attempting to tarnish the image of the university through falsehood and misrepresentation of facts.”

THISDAY gathered that the development may not be unconnected with the inauguration on November 23, 2016 of the institution’s chapter of SSANU by the national body and the subsequent request for members’ check-off dues by the Timnan-led interim executive committee.

The vice-chancellor had reportedly declined the request for the dues and insisted that he would only recognise the body after it had been registered by the university.

A source from the institution revealed that while the management had insisted on registering the union before recognising it, the union argued that the registration of trade unions was the sole responsibility of the registrar of unions.

The source said SSANU had quoted section 3(1) of the Trade Unions Act 2004 as conferring such privilege only on the office of the registrar of trade unions in the Federal Ministry of Employment, Labour and Productivity.

SSANU had argued that its national secretariat has granted approval for the establishment of a branch thereof in the university and the recognition of the union by an employer was obligatory. It therefore declared that it was “unnecessary and unconstitutional to have another registration with the university.”

But the institution management in a memo dated January 10, 2017 insisted on the registration of all trade unions so as to monitor their activities, and directed unions intending to operate in the school to forward a list of officials, constitution and current membership list for registration with the university.

It followed that up by specifically requesting minutes of the meeting where SSANU members agreed to the two per cent deduction on their salaries as check-off dues and finally ruled that only individuals could write granting permission to management to tamper with their wages.

The university management meanwhile frowned at the tone of letters and text messages to it and the vice-chancellor, which it considered disrespectful, accusing Timnan and the union of using unpalatable language.

When contacted, the Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Doknan Sheni claimed that the suspension had nothing to do with SSANU or a desire to stifle the union. “No one will refuse to pay check-off dues, but we want to be sure that he (Timnan) was representing the union and had members’ mandate to deduct the check-off dues.

“We asked him to produce minutes of congress meetings and specifically where they agreed that monies be deducted. We also wanted to know if SSANU mandated all the write-ups sent to management by Timman.

“Instead of providing the information, Timnan was blackmailing the management. The registrar of the school is a senior member of SSANU; he has denied ever attending any meeting where deductions were endorsed.

The vice-chancellor also accused Timnan of “just disappearing from school without permission,” describing the offence as grievous.

But Timman denied ever giving verbal or written warning, saying that “the law says that one can only be suspended after two warnings; in my case, I have never been given a verbal, much less written warning.”

Related Articles