Ignore ASUU’s Demands, NASU, NAAT, SSANU Tell FG

NON Teaching staff in tertiary institutions in Nigeria, have
advised the Federal Government to ignore the
Memorandum of Understanding it entered into with the
striking lecturers on the aegis of Academic Staff Union of
Universities, ASUU, saying its implementation would lead
to another round of crisis.

The Non Teaching Staff comprising Non-Academic Staff
Union of Education and Associated Institutions, NASU,
National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT,
and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian
Universities,SSANU rather advised government to
implement the 2009 agreements it entered with the
unions in tertiary institutions.

In a statement signed by Samson Ugwoke, President of
SSANU and spokesperson of NAAT, SSANU and NASU
tited, ‘Our stand on the on-going ASUU strike’, the
unions sympathised with ASUU but noted that the MoU
was not in the best interest of the education sector.

It stated “We sympathise and solidarise with our sister
union, ASUU over their long drawn struggle for the
welfare of their members. We urged the government to
build more confidence in governance, at all times, by
respecting agreements it freely enters into with unions.

”However, we caution that any settlement of the current
dispute must take into account the interests of all the
university-based unions (NAAT, SSANU, NASU and
ASUU). The three Non-Teaching Staff Unions of NAAT,
SSANU and NASU are opposed to any extraneous
demands by either ASUU or any group in the university
which are prejudicial to the welfare of our members.

”Our stand is that government should jettison the so
called ASUU’s Memorandum of Understanding (MOU)
and concentrate on full implementation of the 2009 FGN/
Unions agreements which border on staff conditions of
service and welfare, and increased funding to
universities.

”The MOU being referred to by ASUU is for their selfish
end and it is bound to generate more crises in the
university sub-sector.

The Non-Teaching Staff Unions in the universities will
stoutly resist any attemp t to ‘sell’ the universities to
ASUU.

”All university based unions signed agreements in 2009
with the government, it is therefore advised that all
contentious issues in all the agreements be settled
holistically to avoid a ‘relay race’ in strike actions in the
universities.

”The implementation of any union’s MOU should not
come in between the period of implementation of signed
agreements rather, such items in the MOU should wait to
be re-negotiated in another agreement(s).”

Vanguard