SSANU LAMENTS POOR PACE OF RENEGOTIATIONS WITH FG
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BY JENN NOMAMIUKOR
As the four-week deadline for the Federal Government to respond to the unions’ requests expires, the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC, in cooperation with unions in postsecondary institutions,
The government’s sluggish negotiations with university unions over their demands have deeply frustrated the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, or SSANU. Recall that on October 20, NLC, along with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, SSANU, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT, and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, among other unions in higher education, gave the Federal Government a four-week deadline to resolve the union crisis. However, several of the unions have bemoaned the lack of progress after four weeks.
Speaking to the media on Wednesday, the SSANU President, Comrade Mohammed Haruna Ibrahim, criticized the administration of insincerity in handling their requests notably the re-negotiation of the 2009 Agreement. Although negotiations with the government have formally restarted, Comrade Ibrahim, who also serves as Chairman of the Joint Action Committee (JAC), which is made up of SSANU and NASU, disclosed that progress has remained extremely slow. “After our meeting with the government team, they requested that we submit our demands again, which we did three weeks ago. There has not been any further consultation or acknowledgment since then, he claimed. Asked the next line of action as the four-week ultimatum has expired, Ibrahim noted that decisions about actions after the expiration of the four-week automatum ultimately depend on the NLC leadership.
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Highlighting the growing challenges, Ibrahim raised alarm over the government’s plan to lease or outsource jobs traditionally held by university staff.
“This is a time bomb. We are meeting our National Executive Council, NEC, in Jos early December to discuss this issue and prepare a strong response to the government,” he declared. He criticized the government for inadequate funding of universities and warned that outsourcing threatens job security for staff, while also increasing costs since outsourced workers must be paid to deliver services. Ibrahim also noted the government’s ongoing establishment of new universities despite claims of scarce resources, calling the situation contradictory and insincere. He emphasized that outsourcing essential university services—such as hostel management, staff quarters, healthcare, maintenance, and security—could rekindle past problems.
He recalled that a similar security outsourcing during former President Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration was eventually reversed due to ineffectiveness.
The SSANU president dismissed the government’s recent distribution of questionnaires to university staff, describing them as “crazy” and urged members not to complete them, indicating a lack of faith in the process.
With rising insecurity, harsh economic conditions, and infrastructure challenges impacting staff welfare, Comrade Ibrahim warned that unions will not remain silent.
He urged the government to reconsider its approach and sincerely engage with workers to resolve ongoing disputes affecting Nigeria’s tertiary education sector.
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