University staff accuse VCs of sabotage over retirement age

Wait till lecturers get to 65 years before forcing them to retire from service, SSANU tells VCs.

 

University workers have accused Vice-Chancellors of violating a Federal Government directive on retirement age for non-academics.

The workers, under the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, South-West Zone, on Wednesday, accused some Vice Chancellors of failing to implement the 65 years retirement age approved by the government for its members.

The National Vice President for the zone, Alfred Jimoh, said in Lagos that some Vice Chancellors of universities were forcing their members to retire after 35 years in service, irrespective of their age.

Mr. Jimoh spoke at the just-concluded quarterly zonal executive council meeting of the association held at the Lagos State University, LASU, Ojo.

“Part of the issues discussed has to do with the attitude of some vice chancellors on the retirement age for SSANU members and the 35-year length of service.

“They are trying to say that the 35 years of service will still remain. In other words, our members must retire at 65 years of age or after 35 years in service,’’ the SSANU vice president said.

He said such attitude by the university administrators, if not checked, might disrupt the prevailing relative peace in the institutions.

Mr. Jimoh expressed gratitude to the Federal Government for raising the retirement age of members from 60 years to 65 years, effective from May.

“It appears some vice chancellors are unhappy with the development and are working against its success by bringing up some clauses that are not in the Federal Government Act.

Mr. Jimoh urged the authorities to intervene to avoid crisis in the nation’s universities.

“It is our tradition to meet quarterly to review situations at the various branches and to chart the way forward, especially the proper running of the universities,” he said.