The Benue state Chairman, Senior Staff Associations of Tertiary Institutions in Benue State, SSATIBS, Comrade Luper Moses Dzaayem has called on the Benue state Government to approve and domesticate the Harmonization Act 2012 for retirement age of the staff of Tertiary Institutions in the state.
Comrade Dzaayem made this call in an interview with newsmen Saturday in Otukpo Local Government Area of Benue state during the burial of Mr Samuel Omleche Abounu, younger brother to the Deputy Governor of the state, Engr Benson Abounu.
He opined that if implemented, the Harmonization Act 2012 which seeks to enable the non-teaching staff in Tertiary institutions retire at the age of 65 as against 60 years of age just like the teaching staff will go a long way to immortalise the late Samuel Abounu who passed on at a critical time when he was pursuing a very significant cause in the lives of all members of the union in the state.
According to the chairman, the Harmonization Act 2012 retirement age of 65 for SSATIBS across the federation has been passed into law already, it is left for the states to domesticate it.
“But in Benue state, only teaching staff are retiring at the age of 65 whereas non teaching staff are retiring at the age of 60. We have made series of efforts, we have seen the Governor, state House of Assembly Speaker, the Commissioner for Education, the Head of Service and many others to domesticate the law in Benue state but our request is yet to receive attention”, Dzaayem said.
He hoped that as an upright and responsive Governor, Ortom would expedite the implementation of the law in the state in order to motivate and improve the productivity of the non teaching staff and also to eliminate the existing disparity between the teaching and non teaching staff.
The SSATIBS chairman pointed out that the law had already been domesticated in many neighbouring states like Nasarawa, Plateau, Kogi and other states, adding that the Speaker, Benue State House of Assembly, Hon. Titus Uba and the state Education Commissioner, Prof. Dennis Ityavyar had given them (SSATIBS) assurance that the issue would be looked into.
“We want our Governor to hear our request and act accordingly so that this act will be implemented. This will add input to his dynamic style of leadership being evident in the transformation of the educational sector by upgrading the Akawe Torkula College of Advanced and Professional Studies into Akawe Torkula Polytechnic and by upgrading Akperan Orshi College of Agriculture into Akperan Orshi Polytechnic”, Dzaayem appealed.
Reacting to the death of the late Abounu, Comrade Moses Dzaayem extolled his virtues, describing him as a dogged Comrade, a hero, a man of people, an orator who was honest and hardworking and the news of his sudden demise was incredible, devastating and unbelievable to the entire SSATIBS.
He urged the immediate family of the deceased to take solace in the fact that ” we are all visitors on earth, our home is in Heaven”.
On his part, Rector, Benue state Polytechnic Ugbokolo, Dr Usman David Kuti on behalf of the governing council, management, staff and students
commiserated with the Abounu family, friends, relations and Associates on the sudden demise of Samuel Abounu. He urged the family to take solace in the rich credentials of the deceased which according to him include humility, tolerance, gregariousness and impeccable character which he symbolized during his existence on earth.
Dr Kuti prayed God to grant the soul of Samuel Abounu a peaceful repose and his family the courage to bear the loss.
In his tribute during an interview, the chairman Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, Benue state chapter, Comrade Julius Ochogwu suggested that, the state Government should institute and name a scholarship or a foundation after the late Samuel Abounu’s name or even name a facility or structure in his name to immortalise him. This according to Comrade Ochogwu is because Abounu was not just somebody who was in the Academia, “he believed in the workability of government facilities and structures”
Ochogwu consoled the family of Omleche Abounu to take heart and prayed God to raise someone to fill the vacuum created by the deceased.
