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 condemned the renegotiation committee set up by the Federal Government.
The Committee, tasked with renegotiating the 2009 agreements between the government and university-based unions, was inaugurated on Tuesday in Abuja.
SSANU President, Muhammed Ibrahim and NASU General Secretary, Peters Adeyemi, on Wednesday, described the event as a “charade,” accusing the government of prioritizing the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while sidelining other unions.
“The entire inauguration seemed to revolve around ASUU, with the other unions treated as an afterthought,” they said in a joint statement.
The Minister of Education’s speech, they noted, focused almost exclusively on ASUU, with brief mentions of other unions, which further fuels concerns of bias.
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The Unions highlighted the prominent role given to the ASUU President at the event, while leaders of other unions 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, a clear indication of the imbalance in the process,” they said.
SSANU and NASU expressed fears that the renegotiation would unfairly favor academic staff at the expense of non-teaching personnel.
They condemned the government’s perceived bias, stating, “The President of ASUU was allowed to speak on behalf of all unions without prior consultation, further proving that the views of other unions are being disregarded.”
The Unions concluded, “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.”
