THE Joint Union of Plateau State Owned Tertiary Institutions (JUPTI) has raised alarm over the continuous withholding of salary deductions by the Plateau State Government describing it as a move to destroy the Cooperative Society.
The Chairman of the Union, Comrade Sunoe Peter Longbaam, raised the alarm while addressing Journalists at the World Press Conference organized by JUPTI, held at the Conferences hall of NUJ Secretariate Jos, the state capital, Friday.
He said, “we are worried by the manner in which the Government through some of its Agencies and Department are attending to our correspondence. A situation where our reminders and notices are not responded to by offices where such letters are addressed to calls for concern.
“We are law abiding Unions and cannot just watched while some officials in Government toy with the Tertiary Education in the state. We have observed in recent months that Government releases Salary without deductions and these situations have continued to linger for too long.
“We are worried because it is affecting our Cooperative Society, National Housing Funds as well as our Union activities. About 75% of staff salaries are been withheld for months not minding the fact that these deductions are directly from staff salaries for Cooperative, National Housing Funds and Union Check-Off Dues”, he highlighted.
According to Longbaam, “these deductions especially the Cooperative savings are meant for investment and immediate needs of staff which we expect Government to encourage the habit of savings but instead, they are holding more than half of our staff monthly salaries in the guise if scarce resources “.
Among other issues that necesitated the press briefing bordered Non-release of 25 TSA withheld funds totaling N460 million to Tertiary Institutions; Non implementation of the peculiar allowance as contained in the agreement for the implementation of CONTEDIS and Non payment of 24 months Pension Arrears of Retirees of Tertiary Institutions respectively.
Others issues included; Deconsolidation of salary structure of Tertiary Institutions by the Ministry of Finance; Failure to enroll couple (s) on their couple’s violation by the Director General of PLASCHEMA and the continuous withholding of salary deductions by the Plateau state Government in that order.
The Union Chairman, therefore, called on Government to maintain the cordial relationship that had existed before now and reciprocate the kind gesture and understanding they have to resolve these lingering issues.
He, however, appealed to the general public and well-meaning Plateau people to intervene and see to the speedy resolution of these lingering issues for the progress of education in our dear state.
