By DAYO ADESULU
- SSANU and NASU Decry Bias Toward ASUU in Recent Committee Formation
The Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Institutions (NASU) has vocally condemned the recent inauguration of a renegotiation committee established by the Federal Government.
Details of the Inauguration
Inaugurated on Tuesday in Abuja, the new committee is tasked with renegotiating the 2009 agreements between the government and university-based unions. However, SSANU and NASU have criticized the event as a “charade,” alleging that the government is favoring the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while neglecting other unions.
Concerns Over Committee Composition
In a joint statement signed by SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim and NASU President Peters Adeyemi, the unions expressed their dissatisfaction with the inauguration’s apparent bias towards ASUU. They highlighted that the Minister of Education’s speech largely focused on ASUU, leaving little mention of the other unions.
“This inauguration seemed to revolve around ASUU, with the other unions treated as an afterthought,” the statement read.
Historical Context of Renegotiations
This inauguration marks the fourth renegotiation committee set up by the government since 2017, following previous committees led by Wale Babalakin (2017), Munzali Jubril (2020), and Nimi Briggs (2022). Past negotiations have often resulted in strikes, with ASUU’s nine-month strike in 2020 leading to the formation of the Jubril committee. Despite draft agreements submitted by the Briggs committee in 2022, lasting solutions have yet to be achieved.
Frustration Over Treatment of Non-Academic Staff
The unions expressed frustration over the perceived favoritism displayed during the inauguration, noting that the President of ASUU was given a prominent role while SSANU and NASU leaders were relegated to lesser positions. “The President of ASUU was seated at the so-called ‘Responsibility table’ while NASU and SSANU leaders were left as mere spectators, indicating an imbalance in the process,” the statement added.
SSANU and NASU are concerned that this renegotiation may favor academic staff at the expense of non-teaching personnel, further marginalizing their voices.
Call for Fair Representation
In light of what they termed a “humiliating” experience, the unions called on the Federal Government to acknowledge their contributions and views. They condemned the process for allowing the ASUU President to represent all unions without prior consultation, further demonstrating the disregard for other unions.
In their closing remarks, SSANU and NASU firmly rejected the inauguration process, expressing serious concerns over potential bias in the upcoming negotiations. “We reject the charade that took place in the name of an inauguration, as it signals a clear bias toward academic staff and undermines the rights of non-teaching workers,” the statement concluded.