The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities has said that the perennial attacks on schools and abduction of school children may worsen illiteracy in the country as many parents might withdraw their wards from school.

The union also said the abductions could add to the 13.5 million out-of-school children in the country and further threaten the education system which it described as the bedrock of national development.

SSANU in a communique issued at the end of its 40th National Executive Council meeting held at the Nasarawa State University, Keffi, Nasarawa State, by its National President, Mohammed Ibrahim, therefore, called on the Federal Government to urgently address the slide by strengthening the security agencies.

The university workers described the invasion of the Nigerian Defence Academy, Kaduna, as a national embarrassment and disgrace, “indicating a total collapse of the security architecture of the country.”

The union stated, “This dangerous dimension has forced several states to shut down schools in violence-prone areas. This will no doubt, add to the over 13.5million out-of-school children in Nigeria today.

“From all indications, this is a great threat to the educational system, bearing in mind that the economic growth of any nation directly depends on the level of her educational standard and stability.

 “NEC, therefore, calls on the Federal Government to urgently stem this ugly tide by vigorously strengthening the security agencies to ensure effective tackling of this monstrous menace.”

The NEC- in-session flayed what it described as the shoddy and lopsided implementation of some core components of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, stressing that the Hazard and other Earned Allowances had yet to be fully implemented in the monthly salaries of its members as earlier agreed.

“Granted that implementation of the allowances has commenced, it is rather surprising that they are scandalously captured. Government is, therefore, earnestly urged to stabilize the mode of salary payment vide IPPIS and immediately commence the payment of hazard, responsibility, excess workload, overtime, and others alongside monthly salaries without further delay,” SSANU demanded.

The union further admonished the Federal and state governments to implement the National Minimum Wage and its accumulated arrears.

The Governing Council of the Ahmadu Bello University (ABU), Zaria, has approved the appointments of Malam Rabiu Samaila as the substantive registrar of the institution and Malam Mohammed-Bello Gurin as the new bursar.

Malam Auwal Umar, Director, Public Affairs Directorate of the university, disclosed this in a statement he issued on Friday in Zaria.

The tenure of the former Registrar, Abdullahi Kundila, expired on June 2.

The statement said that the appointments of the two principal officers were approved by the Joint Council/Senate Selection Board at its meeting held on September 17.

“Both appointments take effect from when they assume duties. Each of them is to serve for a one-term period of five years.

“The Council’s approval of the appointments was in the exercise of the powers conferred on it by Section 6 (1) of the Universities (Miscellaneous Provisions) (Amendment) Act 1993, as amended,’’ the statement said.

Prior to his appointment, Umar was the Deputy Registrar, Human Resources Development Department.

The statement said that the new registrar served as the Acting Registrar and Secretary to Council of the University on two occasions, between December 2014 and September 2015 and between February and June, 2016.

Similarly, the statement said that Gurin, the newly appointed bursar, was the Bursar of the Federal University, Gashua. He was on secondment from ABU. The statement said Gurin started working as an Assistant Chief Clerical Officer (Accounts) in ABU on June 6, 1988, and rose through the ranks to become Deputy Bursar