SENIOR Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has written to President Goodluck Jonathan, praising him for signing into law the protracted 65 years retirement age Act for non-teaching workers of Nigerian universities.

SSANU in a letter by its General Secretary, Comrade Promise Adewusi, read “On behalf of the National President, the National Executive Council, NEC, and indeed the entire membership of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), I write to thank you Mr. President and the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces most immensely for your historic signing into law of the 65 years retirement age Act for non-teaching workers of Nigerian universities.

This has brought to a happy and conclusive end the acrimony that has dogged the regime of discriminatory retirement age against the non-teaching staff of our universities which has spanned over fifteen years causing avoidable disruption in academic activities over this period.”

“That you have been able to do what five previous Heads of State could not do has marked you out as a covenant-keeping President.  We recall that it was also under your Presidency that the non-teaching staff in Nigeria universities got a new lease of life by way of parity in Basic Salaries of all university workers.

You have therefore matched action with words as a President who believes in fairness, equity and natural justice. Sir, as we continue to pray for your continued success in leading a very challenging country like Nigeria, we plead, that in your usual kindness, you direct the appropriate authorities to also happily conclude the issue of Earned Allowance as contained in our 2009 Agreement with the Federal Government of Nigeria. On our part, we shall continue to demonstrate manifest maturity in pursuit of the welfare of our members.”

The letter added “as you have given our members a better sense of belonging within the university firmament, we pray for your continued dominion over detractors of our nation as we assure you of doing our utmost in engendering industrial peace within our campuses and joining hands with you for the transformation of our dear country.”