Unmet Demands: Govt Buying Time With Fresh Negotiation Committee – Varsity Unions

Joint Action Committee (JAC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) have staged a protest in Abuja to demand the immediate implementation of several long-standing agreements reached with the federal government.

The protest, which took place at Yakubu Gowon University (formerly University of Abuja), was also held on university campuses nationwide.

The Abuja protest was led by SSANU chairman, Comrade Nurudeen Yusuf, and Comrade Sadiya Ibrahim Hassan, the NASU chapter chairperson.

They noted that several committees had been set up since 2012 without producing tangible outcomes.

The union leaders described the process as an unending circle of meetings without progress.

The unions accused the federal government of neglect, insincerity and a persistent breach of collective agreements with the unions since 2022.

Addressing journalists in Abuja, Yusuf said the protest was prompted by several unheeded appeals, warnings and ultimatums to the government.

The unions listed six unresolved issues fuelling the ongoing protest, including the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN/NASU/SSANU agreements, non-payment of the approved 25 per cent and 35 per cent salary increments, and unjust disbursement of the N50 billion earned allowances.

Other grievances include the non-payment of two months’ salaries withheld from 2022, the non-remittance of third-party deductions, and the general neglect of non-teaching staff welfare in the university system.

The unions said their frustration stemmed from the long-overdue renegotiation of the 2009 SSANU/NASU agreements, which should be reviewed every three years.

“This gathering aims to shed light on the impact of the escalating crisis in the university sector on our members. Regrettably, the government’s unfulfilled promises have necessitated this public statement to caution all stakeholders in our universities and inter-university centres, as the status quo is unsustainable for our educational system due to the government’s insincerity about the plight of members of NASU and SSANU”, Yusuf said.

NASU chairperson, Comrade Sadiya Hassan, said the government’s approach of repeatedly setting up new committees instead of fulfilling existing obligations had deepened mistrust between both sides.

“The last meeting we had with the government was on October 6, following an earlier one on September 22. Instead of addressing the issues, another committee called the Expanded Yayale Ahmed Committee was set up.

“These issues do not require new committees. The government already has all the facts and figures. The first step should be to release the withheld salaries and arrears as a show of good faith,” she explained.

NASU national president, Dr Makolo Hasan, who joined the protest in solidarity, said the decision to marginalise their members was a clear breach of the 2022 collective bargaining agreement.

Both union leaders warned that they were running out of patience and urged the government to act before the nation’s university system faces another major shutdown.