The Coalition of Healthcare Professionals in Tertiary Education Institutions in Nigeria has announced plans to sue over 20 federal universities for allegedly denying health workers the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tool Allowance. The coalition claims that despite being dues-paying members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and the Non-Academic Staff Union, health workers, including doctors, nurses, and laboratory scientists, are being excluded from the allowance.
According to the coalition, pre-action notices have been served on 10 universities, with more notices in transit to other institutions, including the University of Ilorin and Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria. The affected institutions are expected to comply within 21 days of receiving the notices, or risk facing litigation at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria. The universities facing possible litigation include the University of Jos, Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto, and the University of Calabar.
The National Chairman of CHPTEIN, Musa Shehu, attributes the exclusion of health workers to their employment under the CONHESS and CONMESS salary structures, rather than the CONTISS structure used for other non-teaching staff. Shehu describes this situation as “career-cadre discrimination” and notes that 13 other federal universities have resolved the issue by mapping CONHESS and CONMESS grades to their CONTISS equivalents and paying the allowance to their health workers.
The coalition lists the compliant institutions as the University of Ibadan, Obafemi Awolowo University, and Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, among others. According to the coalition, the planned suits will seek mandatory injunctions, payment of withheld arrears, interest, damages, and legal costs. The coalition also accuses the national leaderships of SSANU and NASU of failing in their duty to adequately represent affected health workers.
Health workers at the University of Jos and University of Calabar have already staged peaceful protests over the issue. The coalition’s legal campaign will continue until the affected universities sign legally binding settlement agreements and pay the allowance to eligible health workers. Shehu emphasizes that the coalition will take legal action against the unions for their alleged failure to represent the health workers.
The affected institutions include the Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Federal University of Technology, Minna, and Nnamdi Azikiwe University, among others. The coalition is determined to ensure that health workers receive the allowance they are entitled to, and is prepared to take the matter to court if necessary.
The CHPTEIN has vowed to pursue the matter until justice is served, and has warned that it will not back down until all affected universities comply with the demands. Key points in the dispute include the exclusion of health workers from the CONTTA allowance, the alleged failure of SSANU and NASU to represent the health workers, and the determination of the coalition to seek redress in court.
Key points
- Health workers in Nigerian universities are suing 20 institutions for excluding them from the Consolidated Non-Teaching Tool Allowance.
- The Coalition of Healthcare Professionals in Tertiary Education Institutions in Nigeria claims that health workers are being discriminated against due to their employment under different salary structures.
- The affected universities have 21 days to comply with the demands or risk facing litigation at the National Industrial Court of Nigeria.
