The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institution (NASU), National Examinations Council (NECO) branch, has called on the Federal Government to as a matter of urgency stop further Deduction of the 25 per cent from Examinations fees paid by candidates for its examinations.
NASU said it is an error for the continued deduction of the 25 per cent by the Federal Government, knowing full well that NECO and every other examinations body in the country are not established to generate revenue but provide social services to the people.
Briefing newsmen at the Council headquarters in Minna on Thursday as part of activities marking the 10th anniversary of the formation of the NECO branch of NASU, the Chairman of the Union, Comrade Mohammed Sham-una Aliyu pointed out that the 25 per cent deduction from every Examinations fee paid by candidates is almost crippling the activities of the Council.
‘After 22 years of the establishment of NECO, it can not boast of state offices in the 36 states of the federation. The Council can not meet up with financial obligations even to its staff, yet 25 per cent is being deducted from any money that comes to the Council.’
Mohammed disclosed that NECO is faced with a lot of challenges today which include non-payment of the backlog of promotion and transfer allowances to its staff due to lack of funds, adding that ‘any further deduction from candidates examinations fees will compound the woos of the Council.’
While thanking President Mohammadu Buhari for approving 100 per cent upward review of Duty Traveling Allowance (DTA) for all federal civil servants, which he believed will go a long way cushion the effect of the economic hardship in the country, the Chairman however called on the management of NECO to immediately implement the new DTA.
‘We also call for the immediate compliance to the appropriate kilometre rate and 30 per cent local running as prescribed in the civil service.’
The Union also, while acknowledging and appreciating the management and the governing board of NECO for the approval of staff welfare documents and insurance for the staff, drew the attention of attention to different levels of unpaid allowances to the staff since 2017.
These, he said, include various promotion allowances, transfer allowance and unpaid salaries owed to staff, stressing that ‘some of them, have retired from the Council but are still being owed.’