SSANU, NASU Strike: Splinter Union Takes Stand, Says Members At Work, Demands Payment Of Salary

By Ayodele Oni

There is a crack in the proposed move by two striking unions in universities to resume on Wednesday following suspension of their two months old strike.

The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU) and Non Academic Staff Union of Universities, (NASU) had last weekend suspended their six months old strike for two months to enable the federal government act on some of the agreements reached.

However, a splinter group, The National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) dissociated itself from the ongoing natiowide strike declared by the Non Academic Staff Union, NASU.

NANTS is a University based Union that emerged out of the amorphous NASU in the University in 2019.

In a statement on Tuesday, Adeniyi Akinnibi, National President of NANTS said NASU was on its own as members of NANTS were never on strike in the first place.

The statement explained that the decision was made after webinar NEC meeting of the union held between Wednesday, 17th August, 2022 and 18th August, 2022 and which was well attended by all organs of the Union.

“We wish to inform the Federal Government, National Association of Nigerian Students NANS, Civil Society Organisations CSO’s and general public that the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) members in the Nigerian Universities are not on strike because NASU cannot speak for our members in the Universities.

“We also, wish to appeal to the Federal Government not subject our innocent members in the Nigerian Universities who did not participate in any strike action to ‘No Work, No Pay’ rule as our members are not on any strike and as a Union we have not issued any strike notice or directive to the Federal Government and our members that should have warranted visiting the consequences NASU’s misdirection and misrepresentation on our innocent members.

“For us in the University system, we cannot continue to subscribe to a Union whose principles and practice is not only alien to the University system and culture but its interests and actions are completely at variance with the interest and welfare of University workers.

“It is pertinent to state that the General Secretary of NASU, one Mr. Peters Adeyemi who issued strike directive to the University workers is not a staff in any Nigerian Universities and as such No Work, No Pay rule does not affect him because he (Peters Adeyemi) and all his other officers are not staff in any Nigerian Universities.

“Also, Mr. Peters Adeyemi is on frolic on his own because we did not recognize his Union activities in the University system.

“We hereby appeal for kind consideration and expeditious actions over our application for registration as a University based Union before the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in consonance with power of the Honourable Minister under Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended and the Trade Unions Act Chapter T14 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria LFN, 2004.

“The registration and recognition our of Union in the University system as a registered trade union will enable us function as a trade union within the confines of the University system devoid of mixing up with intruders who are not staff in the University system.

“To our esteemed members in the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) in Nigerian Universities across the Country are hereby appealed to, remain calm despite the No Work, No Pay rule at this period of critical economic challenges caused by misrepresentation and misdirection of NASU as the National Leadership of NANTS is in the process of engaging the Federal Government with convincing information that we are not strike in order to get our withheld salaries released.

“We wish to reiterate and to rekindle our members hope that by the grace of the Almighty God our Union would be registered and adequate representation and engagement over our issues would follow without frequent and unsuccessful strike actions by NASU.

“To further underscore the justifications for NANTS registration, our interests as University workers in NASU are not SUFFICIENTLY represented and protected due to the marriage of inconvenience of the Union which amalgamate all educational institutions in Nigeria into one Union.

“The leadership of NASU are not from the University system and as such does not understand the peculiarities, challenges and the workings of the University system.

“As a result of this, the union is unable and incompetent to SUFFICIENTLY advocate and represent our interest in the entire university system.

“As a result of its amorphous nature, being too broad and wide, hence, the agitation to have our own University based union solely because our interests in the university system does not correlate with that of the others in the group under NASU umbrella.

“It should be noted that our demand is lawful, legal, and constitutional. Continued affiliation to NASU as an amalgamation of strange bedfellows whose interests are different and far apart will only continue to increase the agitations overtime as the very structure of NASU makes it difficult for it to SUFFICIENTLY attend to our peculiar needs.

“That the registration and recognition of NANTS as a separate and stand-alone Union like the other University based Unions like ASUU, SSANU and NAAT remained the only solution to the neglect, intimidation and tyranny by NASU and its officers who are aliens to the University system.”