DEMANDS by members of Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU) are worsening crisis in the universities, the Federal Government has said.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, told journalists on Wednesday that the unions within the ivory towers had since kicked against the proposed University Transparency Account System (UTAS) presented by the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU).
The former Anambra State governor who spoke with newsmen shortly after budget defence by his ministry at the National Assembly listed SSANU and NASU among unions that might complicate the crisis. Ngige, who maintained that it was proper to harmonise the payment platform in the Nigerian universities, disclosed that his Ministry had since sent the UTAS to National Information Technology Development Agency for assessment.
He said: “We have sent their system to NITDA for assessment, they have to come back from strike to know what we can do in the interim.
“They have to come to hear that there are other systems in the university that have their own system of payment and they are not going to go with UTAS.
“We have other associations in the Universities which are SSANU, NASU and National Association of Technologists in Universities; ASUU is not the only Union in the universities.
“If we ignore them and what they are saying, even if ASUU comes back, they will close the lecture halls and the laboratories.
“We don’t want that to happen, that is why we are taking measures to carry everybody along.” Ngige accused the ASUU of observing the Labour Law in the breach by not returning to classrooms.
“They will not have any other option than to return to work. The ILO principle on strike has some limitations. “First and foremost, by Labour Law, Section 18 of trade dispute 2004, they know what I am saying,” he said.
Meanwhile, National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) has resolved to organise a nationwide mass protest to press home its demand for the immediate reopening of all universities across the country.
This is part of resolutions reached in a communiqué issued on Wednesday in Enugu, after NANS Students’ Leaders Emergency virtual meeting held on November 9.
The communiqué said that the continued strike was an organised crime against students’ career and educational pursuits.
NANS, therefore, declared a 14-day ultimatum for both parties, ASUU and the Federal Government to resolve their impasse for campuses to re-open or risk mass protest. In the same development, the University of Benin (UNIBEN) has postponed its PostUTME admission screening to December 2.
Dr Benedicta Ehanire, Public Relations Officer of UNIBEN, disclosed this in a statement issued on Wednesday in Benin, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported. Ehanire said that the website would close by November 19, adding that all applications must be concluded online not later than midnight of the date.
“Candidates who pay after the deadline of November 19, 2020 will not be screened. “Candidates are advised to go back online as from November 25, 2020 to print out the specific date, venue and time for screening,” she said.
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