SSANU condemns members` sack by Niger Delta Varsity
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has decried the disengagement of its members by the Governing Council of the Niger Delta University, NDU, Bayelsa State. The union, therefore, called on the authorities to reinstate the affected staff to avoid industrial action. The union also called on the government to stop the proliferation of […]
The Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, has decried the disengagement of its members by the Governing Council of the Niger Delta University, NDU, Bayelsa State.
The union, therefore, called on the authorities to reinstate the affected staff to avoid industrial action.
The union also called on the government to stop the proliferation of universities in the country as well as keep to agreements it entered freely with unions to avoid incessant strike actions.
SSANU in a communiqué issued after its National Executive Council, NEC, meeting held at the Bayero University Kano, BUK, Kano State signed by its National President, Samson Chijioke Ugwoke and the National Public Relations Officer, Abdussobur Salaam also frowned at the Federal Government’s disobedience to court orders, especially the one bordering on the issue of university staff schools.
On the sacked union members by the Governing Council of NDU, SSANU said, “NEC is taken aback by the recent developments at the Niger Delta University, Wilberforce Island, Bayelsa State where the Governing Council undertook a mass disengagement of the workforce.
“NEC notes that the anti-people decision of the Governing Council will have far reaching effects on the socio-economic existence of the state and calls on the Governing Council of NDU to immediately review this unpopular policy and reinstate the disengaged staff or face industrial action from the National body of SSANU.”
Condemning the proliferation of universities, the union, said, “NEC in Session notes with worry, the rate of approvals granted for the establishments of universities by government. NEC observed that the establishment of universities have almost become like constituency projects as almost every senator seems to be sponsoring a bill for the establishment or upgrade of an institution to a university in his or her constituency and that almost every week, the Federal Executive Council approves the establishment of a new university.
“NEC notes that though the number of universities on ground may have challenges meeting up with the increasing admission needs of the country, the solution is not the proliferation of universities. Government should rather improve the funding and infrastructures of existing universities so as to increase their carrying capacities and the number of students they can admit.”
It said the union should not be blamed if it resumes the suspended nationwide industrial action, saying “ seven (7) weeks after the last Memorandum of Understanding signed by Government and the unions, government has failed to honor its own part of the bargain.”