Few days ago, the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, held the 2024 National Executive Council, NEC, meeting in Abuja, the Federal Capital Territory, FCT.
The NEC which attracted stakeholders in education, health and trade unions including the Acting Vice Chancellor, University of Abuja, Prof Aisha Maikudi, Executive Secretary of Organisation of Trade Union of West Africa, OTUWA, John Odah, Regional Secretary, Public Services International, Daniel Oberko, among others, appraised the challenges facing the nation’s education sector zeroing in funding crisis, infrastructure decay and staff welfare.
Funding crisis
Addressing the gathering, NASU’s President, Dr Makolo Hassan, said “The lack of adequate funding in the education sector has severely hindered the fulfillment of institutions’ mandates, including providing quality education, fostering research, and promoting innovation. Insufficient financial resources limit the ability of schools and tertiary institutions to invest in infrastructure, modern technology, and learning materials, all of which are crucial for effective teaching, learning and research.
“This funding gap also affects the welfare of staff, leading to poor remuneration, delayed salaries, inadequate benefits, and limited opportunities for professional development. Consequently, low morale among workers often translates to reduced productivity and commitment, undermining the overall quality of education and the achievement of institutional goals.
“We have taken notice that the Senate, on Tuesday, October 8th, 2024, called for improved funding of Universities, based on a motion sponsored by Senator Anthony Ani, APC, Ebonyi State. While we commend the Senate for addressing this crucial issue, we urge the National Assembly to go beyond passing motions. They should leverage their constitutional authority, particularly during the approval of Annual Budgets, to ensure meaningful and sustained improvements in the funding of tertiary institutions. This proactive approach will strengthen the educational sector and contribute to national development.”
Non-implementation of agreements
According to the NASU’s President, “A major hurdle in the education sector is the Federal Government’s failure to adhere to best industrial relations practices, notably the non-implementation of Agreements it voluntarily entered into with Unions in the sector.”
This disregard for established Agreements has resulted in ongoing industrial relations crises, aggravating existing issues and undermining the sector’s ability to provide quality education. “The lack of commitment to honoring these Agreements not only affects the morale of workers but also jeopardises the future of students who rely on a stable and supportive educational environment.”
Dr Hassan lamented that “non-conclusion of the renegotiation of Collective Agreements signed by the Federal Government with NASU in 2009 for Universities and 2010 for Polytechnics and Colleges of Education has remained a lingering issue. The Agreements, which were to be renegotiated every 3 to 5 years, saw no action until 2017, when renegotiations finally commenced. However, the process has remained inconclusive, and the current administration, which inherited this unresolved matter, has not taken any significant steps to ensure the recommencement or conclusion of the negotiations.
“This has left NASU members in Universities, Polytechnics and Colleges of Education frustrated as critical aspects of their welfare and working conditions remain unresolved, despite the passage of over a decade. We are therefore calling on the Federal Government to constitute Renegotiation Committees to conclude the negotiations.”
He expressed disgust on the Federal Government refusal to “resolve the issue of the four months unpaid salaries of NASU members in the Universities and Inter-University Centres despite the fact that we have been informed that the President Bola Tinubu, has directed that 50 per cent of the unpaid salary, that is, two months be paid. We are reliably informed that the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Mr. Wale Edun, is the one sitting on the directive of Mr. President on this matter. NASU will therefore like to use this forum to appeal to the Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy to please ensure that the directive of Mr. President on this matter is implemented to avert further industrial crisis in our Universities and Inter-University Centres.
“We like also to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the various Memorandums of Agreement, MoAs, and Memorandums of Understanding, MoUs, which they have entered into with our Union particularly the one of 22nd August, 2022 containing the following issues: Renegotiation of the FGN/NASU 2009 Agreement, Payment of Earned Allowances, Usurpation of Headship of Non-Teaching Units in Clear Violation of Establishment Procedures, Inconsistencies in Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, Payment Platform, and Neglect and Poor Funding of State Universities. We call on Government to speedily address the issues contained in those MoAs and MoUs with a view to sustaining peace and industrial stability in the system.
Poly, colleges of education
He said “The Polytechnics and Colleges of Education sectors are also not exempted from the crisis of payment of promotion arrears; the need for the release of additional fund to the Needs Assessment of the Public Polytechnics and Colleges of Education in Nigeria; implementation of the newly approved Minimum Wage as well as the issue of the Renegotiation of the Year 2010 FGN/NASU Agreement.
“Despite the various appeals and petitions that NASU has pushed to appropriate quarters in respect of the discrimination in the application of some of the incentives that the Federal Government had extended to the Teachers in Nigeria against the Non-Teaching staff, so far, nothing has been done to ameliorate the situation.
“It is unfortunate that Government, in an attempt to enhance the living standard of the Teaching staff in the Schools and Colleges system, has unconsciously neglected the interest and the well-being of the Non-Teaching staff. This is a problem created by the Federal Government but now extended to the States by various State Governments in an attempt to adopt the Federal Government policy in this regard.
“In view of the fact that the Schools system whether at the Federal or State levels are not serviced by only the Teaching staff, it is imperative to extend this package to the Non-Teaching staff in Schools and Colleges whether at the Federal or at the State levels since the Non-Teaching staff are not inferior in any way to their counterpart, the Teaching staff, that are already enjoying these incentives. Therefore, the Non-Teaching staff should be granted the privilege of enjoying the newly approved 65 years retirement age and 40 years of service.”
