Victor Ezeja
The Chairman, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), Federal University of Technology, Minna (FUTMinna) branch, Comrade Abubakar Aliyu, FCIA, has expressed reservations over the make-up of the 2009 renegotiation agreement committee recently reconstituted by the Federal Government.
Specifically, Comrade Aliyu, described the reconstituted seven-man committee, which includes four professors, as skewed and a disservice to non-teaching staff unions in the university system who he alleged were relegated to be mere observers.
Comrade Aliyu made this known yesterday at the Union’s secretariat in Gidan Kwano while responding to questions from Newsmen; following a press release issued by the Director, Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Mr. Bon. Bem Goong announcing the membership of the reconstituted 2009 renegotiation committee for the Academic Staff of Universities’ Unions (ASUU)
The Chairman stated that non-teaching staff occupies an enviable position in the scheme of things in the university system and as such, the union must be respected by accommodating its members for the purpose of industrial peace and harmony across Federal Government-owned universities.
He disclosed that the four university-based unions independently had an agreement with the Federal Government in 2009 on some issues geared towards the development of public universities in the country, adding that the renegotiation committee reconstituted by the Federal Government should address all unions’ demands and not just that of ASUU.
The SSANU chairman who recalled that all four unions were involved during the renegotiation of the 2001 agreement with the Federal Government in 2009, wondered why the Federal Government was applying a lop-sided discussion strategy this time around.
He concluded by charging selected members of the reconstituted renegotiation committee to be upright as they would be judged based on their character and conduct.
Victor Ezeja is a passionate journalist with seven years of experience writing on economy, politics and energy. He holds a Master's degree in Mass Communication.
