The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities in Nigeria has decried the threat of another nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
This is contained in a communique signed by Chairman, Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities, COPSUN, Mallam Yusuf Ali, SAN at the end of its 54th meeting held in Abuja.
The communique expresses deep concern and worries at the threat of a new nationwide strike by ASUU even when the nation has hardly recovered from the previous 9 months of work-to-rule it ended late last year.
“Reiterating its long-standing position that strike should not be seen as the only weapon of negotiation with governments, the Pro-Chancellors believed that a fresh strike is not a good omen for the future of tertiary education in Nigeria. While the craving for reforms in the education sector is healthy and should persist, negotiations with the Federal Government on policy implementation is encouraged but the penchant to proceed on the total shut down of the university system at the slightest provocation is ill-advised and quite insensitive to the plight of the students and their sponsors who will have to bear the brunt”.
It appeals to ASUU to reconsider its position on the planned strike and allow more opportunities for dialogue and negotiation arguing that “as stakeholders, we all stand to benefit better in a peaceful environment.”
The communique notes that as part of COPSUN’s efforts to promote national dialogue, peace, and reconciliation on the lingering crisis between the Federal Government and ASUU, it has set up a high-powered committee to interface and mediate in the matter for the growth and development of tertiary education in Nigeria.
It explains that each state university should have the liberty to negotiate and engage its employees on its own terms and conditions and called on the staff unions to avoid the tendency of regarding the country as operating a unitary system, rather than a federal system.
The communique appeals that its representatives during negotiations with labour be accorded authoritative mandate and not as mere observers.
It enjoins Nigerian Governors’ Forum to collaborate with the Federal Government, the National Assembly and other stakeholders to institute the process for the amendment and removal of labour and wages matters from the Exclusive Legislative List of the Constitution (as amended) to the Concurrent List “to enable State-Owned universities operate and relate with their employees under the rules establishing the universities and not under the rules of the Federal Government-owned universities as is presently the case.”
“The Committee of Pro-Chancellors further appealed to the Federal Government to ensure adherence to the extant laws guiding labour relations in the university particularly the provision of “no work no pay”.”
The communique also urges the Federal Government to intensify its war against terrorism and banditry beyond the battlefield stressing that “no matter the efforts being put in place, there could be no meaningful development in the education system as long as the schools consistently remain the target of attack by terrorists.”
Ridwan Fasasi
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