We Lost Two Months Salaries To High Tax Annually—Joint Union of Tertiary Institutions in Nasarawa State

Rabiu Omaku

• Says We are Ready for a showdown with Nasarawa Government over downward review of salary

Members of the Joint Union of Nasarawa State Tertiary institutions worried over the hike in electricity tariff by 45%, increase in pump price of petroleum to N145 per litre and intermittent rising spate of foodstuff has urged the Nasarawa state Governor Umaru Tanko Al-Makura to as matter of utmost concern and in the interest of industrial harmony and peaceful co-existence to exclude tertiary institutions from the current attempt to review the salary downward.

The joint union maintained that the tertiary institutions in the state are not benefiting from the national minimum wage implemented by the state Governor on assumption of office in May, 2011.

Following the setting up of committee by the state Government to look into the issue of the review of salaries of political office holders, public and civil servants in Nasarawa state, the joint union wishes to convey its position as follows;

1. Members of JUNSTI decried high tax deduction from their take-home pay, the members said they received twelve months salary annually but instead two months salaries goes down the drain as taxes, as it revealed that the present tax regime has been designed to deduct about two months’ salary in each calendar year per worker in the tertiary institutions.
2. That the salaries of tertiary institutions that are approved by the National Salaries Income and Wages Commission (NSIWC) for implementation are usually sent through the various regulatory bodies such as NUC, NCCE, and NBTE etc to the respective tertiary institutions for their implementation though is thus pertinent that only the NSIWC can review such packages.
3. The Joint Nasarawa state owned tertiary institutions union members sacrifices fourteen months arrears of promotions and annual increment to the Government for the development of the state.
4. That the tertiary institutions are edict established and therefore autonomous, more so their terms and conditions of service are not the same as that of the other civil servants in the state hence, cannot be treated the same.
5. Since the inception of this Government, there has been no promotion, no increments, no replacement of staff and no earned allowances, hereby adding to the economic woes of workers in these tertiary institutions.

1. That the tertiary institutions in Nasarawa state did not benefit from the implementation of 2011 National minimum wage as implemented by the present Government of Nasarawa state.
2. That looking at the present economic situation consequent upon the increase of 45% in electricity tariff and increase to N145 per litre of pump price of petroleum, it is ill-time to review salaries downward.
3. The congresses have thus agreed that any attempt to reduce salaries will not be accepted, the statement was signed by the chairman of JUNSTI, Arik Samuel Bashayi and the secretary, Malam Muhammad Usman and made available to universalreporters247.com.