UI staff unions suspend strike •As VC assures teachers will not be sacked

The three non-teaching staff unions at the University of Ibadan which embarked on a warning strike on Friday, July 29, 2016 to protest shortfall in salary payments and the ownership of staff school, have suspended their two-week strike.

The suspension of the strike resurrected administrative activities at the university on Monday as students resumed for the second semester of the 2015/2016 session.

The unions are Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Unions (NASU),

The Vice Chancellor, Professor Idowu Olayinka, while speaking with newsmen thanked all the parties, individuals, bodies and groups that intervened on the successful negotiations that saw to the end of the strike.

He said the issue of the institution’s staff school is being resolved through a committee, comprising all stakeholders.

He assured workers that no staff will be sacked.

While acknowledging the personal intervention of the Pro-Chancellor and Chairman of the Governing Council, Dr Umar Musa Mustapha, who had series of reconciliatory meetings with management and leadership of the three staff unions, Professor Olayinka said his administration would continue to improve on the modest achievements of staff promotion as and when due.

“The outstanding issues with our staff school, which arose from management’s compliance with the directives from our proprietors, the Federal Government of Nigeria, are being resolved. We are very keen on maintaining the enviable pedigree of the school and improvement of its fortunes. For the avoidance of doubt, the management of the University of Ibadan is not going to sack any of the teachers in the school.

“Be assured that the university management has strong stakes in all the unions and the assumption that some are being marginalised or less preferred is an erroneous claim. The university community can only thrive and prosper with the understanding and support of all members and by inference all the unions.”

“The utmost concern of this administration is to improve the quality of life of staff which would culminate in better performance of staff at work – teaching or research. We are, therefore, certain that plans that will alleviate current economic challenges will be evolved.

“As part of efforts towards enhancing staff welfare, we have been very diligent and pro-active in attending to matters of promotion of deserving members of staff, whether teaching or non-teaching. We are satisfied and proud of our modest achievements over the past eight and a half months, while striving for improvement in the processing of promotion cases in order to reduce the waiting time.”