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 vehemently criticized the establishment of the renegotiation committee formed by the Federal Government.
This committee, which was established on Tuesday in Abuja, has been assigned the responsibility of renegotiating the agreements made in 2009 between the government and university-related unions.
In a unified statement from SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim and NASU President Peters Adeyemi, the unions labelled the event a “charade,” accusing the government of favouring the Academic Staff Union of Universities while neglecting other unions.
The Federal Government has reformed the renegotiation committee, setting a deadline of three months for it to complete its work.
This is the fourth renegotiation committee established by the government since 2017, following earlier committees chaired by Wale Babalakin in 2017, Munzali Jubril in 2020, and Nimi Briggs in 2022.
“The entire inauguration seemed to revolve around ASUU, with the other unions treated as an afterthought,
“The Honourable Minister of Education’s speech focused almost exclusively on ASUU, while the other unions were barely mentioned,” the statement read.
This is the fourth renegotiation committee established by the government since 2017, following earlier committees chaired by Wale Babalakin in 2017, Munzali Jubril in 2020, and Nimi Briggs in 2022.
In 2020, ASUU initiated a nine-month strike that resulted in the establishment of the Jubril Committee. The recommendations from this committee served as the foundation for a draft agreement created in 2021. A subsequent draft was presented by the Nimi Briggs committee in 2022, but negotiations have still not produced enduring outcomes.
The unions expressed their discontent regarding what they perceived as favouritism during the inauguration on Tuesday. They claimed that the ASUU President was given a significant position at the event, while the leaders of other unions were placed in subordinate roles.
“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,” the statement added.
SSANU and NASU voiced concerns that the renegotiation process would disproportionately benefit academic staff while disadvantaging non-teaching employees.
In reaction to what they labelled a “humiliating” experience, the unions criticized the Federal Government for what they see as favouritism.
“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,” it further added.
In conclusion, the unions criticized the procedure, voicing significant worries about possible bias in the forthcoming 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.
