The Nation Newspaper

Tag: Non Academic Staff Union of universities (NASU)

  • Strike: UniAbuja chapter of SSANU seeks NASS intervention

    Strike: UniAbuja chapter of SSANU seeks NASS intervention

    The University of Abuja ( UniAbuja ), chapter of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities ( SSANU ), has called on the National Assembly ( NASS ) to intervene in the ongoing industrial dispute between it and the Federal Government.

    Members of Joint Action Committee (JAC) comprising Non-academic Staff Union of Universities ( NASU ), SSANU and National Association of Academic Technologists ( NAAT ) have been on strike over Federal Government’s failure to pay their earned allowances.

    The strike commenced on Dec. 4, 2017.

    A statement by SSANU’s National President and Chairman JAC, Mr Samson Ugwoke, on Wednesday in Abuja, said that the leader of UniAbuja chapter of SSANU, Malam Hassan Shallangwa, had presented a letter requesting the intervention of lawmakers.

    He said that the letter was presented to Mr Yakubu Dogara, Speaker of House of Representatives, through his Special Assistant Media and Publicity, Mr Turaki Hassan.

    “The Federal Government, through its relevant Ministers, have refused to dialogue with the unions and are pretending that all is well in our campuses, but we believe that it is only the National Assembly that can call them to order in the interest of Nigerian Education

    ‘’The strike we embarked upon since Dec. 4, 2017 has been crippling almost all activities on our campuses, yet the government remained passive about it, ’’the statement quoted Shallangwa as saying.

    Ugwoke expressed JAC’s dismay that the N23 billion paid by the Federal Government was cornered to pay the Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU ) “for their Earned Academic Allowances.”

    He said that the three non-teaching staff unions were left with N4.6 billion (11 per cent), as earned allowances.

    NAN

  • Police, parents, NASU members in free for all as pupils are locked out

    Police, parents, NASU members in free for all as pupils are locked out

    The long-running strike of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities ( NASU ) got messier on Thursday morning as police officials, parents, members of the union and school teachers brawled over closure of school gates.

    Campus Life reports that on early hours of Thursday morning, the gates of International School and Staff School respectively at the University of Lagos ( UNILAG ) were under key and locks leaving pupils, parents and care givers stranded.

    Police vans from Sabo Police Division, Yabo were mounted at different locations on campus and specifically at the schools frontage.

    Pupils in their hundreds were seen lurking around the school fences while some of the pupils at ISL took to shooting match.

    At Staff School, the atmosphere was completely different as armed policemen, parents wrangled with members of NASU, who insisted that the gates must under locks and keys.

    Apparently aggrieved parents expressed grief at the action while they profusely bicker with the school teachers at the gate.

    While some of the parents regretted that the strike has taken tolls on the academics of their wards, others said the NASU members couldn’t have locked out pupils if their children were enrolled in the school.

    A parent at staff school, who was seen ranting said, “This is completely wrong and embarrassing. It is not in anyway rational to lock these young children out of school because of anything whatsoever. At the end of the day, the children who don’t know anything about the strike will be the ones to suffer most.”

    She added that the term has very few more weeks to end while there are lots to cover for the pupils.

    A male parent at ISL regretted that the timing of the strike was wrong because secondary school are meant to be prepared for West African Senior Certificate Examinations.

    He said NASU engaged in their demonstration but, it shouldn’t be at the detriment of school children.

    It will be recalled that UNILAG chapter staged a protest on campus few week ago to further press for their demands.

    Meanwhile, NASU on Wednesday staged another protest shortly after they distrupted the power and water supply across the university campus.

  • NANS urges FG, NASU, SSANU to shift ground

    NANS urges FG, NASU, SSANU to shift ground

    The National Association of Nigerian Students ( NANS ) on Thursday urged Federal Government and Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities ( NASU ) to shift ground for industrial harmony.

    NASU National President Kadiri Aruna made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria ( NAN ) in Enugu.

    NAN reports that NASU’s members and Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities ( SSANU ) had been on strike for past three weeks over certain demands.

    Aruna said that the strike which was called off by Academic Staff Union of Universities ( ASUU ) early this week would not make much impact if NASU remained on strike.

    He, however, said that NANS would engage the Federal Government as well as the leadership of NASU and SSANU to look to the plight of students and find a way to resolve issues.

    “As a matter of fact, by next week we are going to write officially to Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education, NASU, SSANU and other stakeholders in tertiary education sector for them to consider Nigerian students.

    “The recent call-off of strike by ASUU will not make an impact if the non-academic staff members of universities are not working.

    “The strike of non-academic staff of universities means that the campuses, although opened, but cannot function normal,’’ he said.

    Aruna, however, urged students to return to campuses and resume classes in order to meet up and cover the academic activities for the session.

    “We want our members, Nigerian students, to resume lectures forthwith in order to show our commitment to learning and appreciate lecturers that had resumed classes,’’ he said.

  • NASU, others begin indefinite strike

    NASU, others begin indefinite strike

    … Worsens situation at UI

     

    The Non Academic Staff Union of Universities (NASU), University of Ibadan branch Monday withdrew the services of its members in compliance with the nationwide strike declared by the union.

    Also, in the strike were members of National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT), and Senior Staff Academic of Universities (SSANU).

    The strike which was about 80 percent total at the university has further paralysed activities at the ivory tower.

    The union is demanding the implementation of 12 items contained in the document of agreement reached with the union by the federal government since 2009.

    Among the demands are earned non-academic allowances and the license for the Nigerian University Pension Management Company (NUPEMCO), lack of infrastructures, poor governance, and hazard allowances.

    Activities at different departments at the university came to near total collapse except in a few units such as the hospital, security, electrical and power house where the workers offer skeletal services till 4pm.

    NASU Chairman University of Ibadan, Comrade Arojo Oluwasegun said that earned allowances are the rights of both deserving academic and non-academic staff, while calling on the federal government  to do the needful to save public education from total collapse in the country .

    According to Arojo, the Union was not happy that the government which pride itself so much is not interested in enduring legacies that can reposition public education through adequate funding

    “The strike commenced today and it is total and indefinite until we receive directives from the leadership of our union. As you can see, here our members fully complied to the indefinite strike. And what we are saying is that only the government can end the strike by implementing the content of the document,  otherwise the strike will go on indefinitely”, he said.

    Efforts to reach the UI branch Chairman of Senior Academic Staff Association of Universities (SSANU), Akinremi failed.

     

  • NASU sacks OAU branch Exco

    NASU sacks OAU branch Exco

    The national leadership of the Non Academic Staff Union of universities (NASU) has dissolved the leadership of the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife branch of the union.

    The National Executive in a June 21 letter cited continued violation of the union’s constitution in the ongoing crisis over the appointment of a new Vice Chancellor for the institution as the reason for the sack.

    It accused the branch leadership of carrying out protest and industrial action without the permission of the national leadership, adding that it acted in disregard to its earlier plea for leniency in a recent meeting with the General Secretary at its Ibadan liaison office.

    The letter, signed by the General Secretary, A. Adeyemi, said the dissolution of the Executive takes effect from June 20.

    It directed the leadership of the OAU branch to hand over properties in their care to branch financial secretary.

    “In accordance with Rule 22 (1 & 5c) of NASU constitution, therefore, the Obafemi Awolowo University Branch Committee is dissolved with effect from 20th June, 2016 for persistent violation of the content of the constitution,” the statement read in part.

    The tenure of the outgoing VC, Prof. Ba miracle Omole, ends today (Thursday) while the incoming VC is expected to take over on Friday.

    The letter was copied to the VC, Registrar, Commissioner of Police, Osun State and the Secretary of the Osun State Council of the union.