Union rift as SSANU, NASU accuse Nigerian govt of favouring ASUU in renegotiation talks

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), on Wednesday, strongly condemned the Federal Government’s inauguration of a renegotiation committee.

The committee, tasked with renegotiating the 2009 agreements between the government and university-based unions, was launched on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to a joint statement signed by SSANU President Muhammed Ibrahim and NASU President Peters Adeyemi, the event was a “charade” that prioritized the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) while sidelining other unions.

The statement read, “The entire inauguration seemed to revolve around ASUU, with the other unions treated as an afterthought.”

The Federal Government reconstituted the renegotiation committee with a three-month timeline to conclude its task. However, SSANU and NASU expressed dissatisfaction, stating that the inauguration appeared skewed in favor of ASUU.

“The Honourable Minister of Education’s speech focused almost exclusively on ASUU, while the other unions were barely mentioned,” the statement added.

This development is not the first time the government has attempted to renegotiate the 2009 agreements. In 2020, ASUU embarked on a nine-month strike, leading to the formation of the Jubril committee. The committee’s recommendations formed the basis of a draft agreement in 2021. In 2022, the Nimi Briggs committee submitted a further draft, but negotiations have yet to yield lasting results.

The unions highlighted their frustration with the perceived bias during the Tuesday inauguration. The President of ASUU was given a prominent role, 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,” the statement said.

SSANU and NASU fear the renegotiation will unfairly favor academic staff at the expense of non-teaching personnel. In response to what they described as a “humiliating” experience, the unions called out the Federal Government for its perceived bias. “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 by condemning the process and expressing serious concerns over potential partiality 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.”

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