Following the threat by the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (SSANU) and Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) to proceed on industrial action over unresolved issues with the Federal Government, the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) has distanced itself from the planned warning strike.
SSANU and NASU had on Friday threatened to embark on a warning strike next Monday to press home their demands.
But in a statement by the National President of NANTS, Comrade Niyi Akinnibi, on Saturday dissociated the union from the planned strike, saying the purported warning strike is meant for members of SSANU across the country and not NANTS.
Akinnibi said “the attentions of the National Secretariat of the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) has been drawn to the purported strike notice issued by Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities SSANU and the Non-Academic Union of Educational and Associated Institutions NASU dated 28th September 2020.
The National Secretariat of the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) wishes to use this medium to inform our esteemed members, the government and the general public that the purported warning strike is meant for the members Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities SSANU in the country”
Akinnibi who acknowledged some challenges confronting the union said NASU cannot represent the interest of the NANTS noting the leadership of NASU is a separate union.
He said “even though it is undeniable that we are having myriads of challenges bedevilling us in our university system and as such we readily acknowledged and adopted all the issues raised against the government by SSANU as our issues.
“That NASU cannot effectively represent our interest before the government because the leadership of NASU are not part of us in our university system hence they do not know anything about us, our challenges and do not understand the system better than us, the workers in the system”
He said further that “NASU is on a frolic on its own agenda as our members will not participate in the purported warning strike because NASU has been rejected in the entire University hence the reason for the new university-based Union to adequately to care of the interest of our members.
“That we do not need outsiders to engage the government or negotiate on our behalf over matters of interest, welfare and concern of our members in the University system.
“That the government is hereby appealed to, to do the needful in respect of our application before it by registering our Union for the betterment of our members.
“That our members have rejected NASU in the University system and the need to speed the process of registration of National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities became imperative.
“That workers in the University system are tired of NASU being an amorphous Union and amalgamation of numerous, incompatible, unrelated institutions and marriage of inconvenience.
“That we hereby appeal to our esteemed members in all the universities across the country to exercise patience and remain calm as nothing can stop the processing and consideration of our application before the government because same is guaranteed and backed by the law of the land.
“That the Right to freedom of Association and Peaceful Assembly as provided for in Section 40 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria as Amended 1999 is our Inalienable Right.
“That membership of a Union is not by compulsion and coercion but voluntary and our members should not bother themselves about the purported warning strike being called by NASU.”
He, however, said “our members across the country shall not participate in any strike at the moment and that the Federal government is hereby called upon to ensure that our members in the University system across the country resume their duties every day without fear of intimidation, harassment and molestation.
“That government should assist us to put the security agencies on alert to forestall breach of peace in our Nations ivory towers because any attempt to coerce our members shall be vehemently resisted and opposed.”
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