The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) has expressed concern over the prolonged delay in concluding the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement between university unions and the Federal Government, warning that its members are becoming increasingly agitated as the process drags on.
The warning was made by the National Vice President and Chairman of SSANU Western Zone, Dr Abdussobour Salaam, during the association’s 79th Zonal Executive Council Meeting in Ogun State, on Thursday. Salaam said the renegotiation process, chaired by former Head of the Civil Service of the Federation, Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, is nearing completion despite several challenges, but certain government officials had at some point threatened to derail the exercise.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for sustaining the platform that enabled negotiations to continue, recalling that the 2009 agreement stipulated that negotiations should be reviewed every three years, with reviews supposed to have taken place in 2012, 2015, 2018, and 2021, but successive administrations failed to adhere to the timeline.
Salaam stated that the patience of their members is running thin, and at the appropriate time, the relevant organs of the union shall make a pronouncement to direct members to embark on a process that will force the government to ensure the long-overdue renegotiation is duly completed.
Also Read: Senate distances itself from Oshiomhole’s remarks on NNPCL
Despite the growing frustration, Salaam maintained that SSANU remains committed to dialogue and peaceful engagement rather than confrontation, stating that before embarking on any industrial action, they would ensure that all mechanisms for peaceful engagement, including communication and reminders, have been exhausted.
Leave feedback about this
You must be logged in to post a comment.