Despite the recent breakthrough in the three-month-old industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), their non-academic counterparts, the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), have told Nigerians to jubilate with caution.
Jonathan Omolana, SSANU chairperson of the University of Ibadan branch, said on Monday that the body would ensure a total paralysis of the university system across the country even if ASUU calls off its own strike, as expected this week.
He urged parents to blame the government if this happens, as the union was sidelined in the negotiation going on between the government and the university lecturers.
Speaking during an open demonstration to protest the non-inclusion of other unions in the universities in the negotiation with ASUU, Mr. Omolana said the academic staff cannot claim to be the only important entity in the system.
He said the protest would continue on Tuesday to draw the attention of the Federal Government to the need to negotiate with other unions in the universities.
All the gates leading to the University of Ibadan were locked yesterday as the SSANU leaders insisted that what they did would amount to child's play when they begin the real action after ASUU calls off its strike.
"The Federal Government as a parent is showing that it loves a child more than the other children, whereas he should love them equally," Mr. Omolana said. "However, since the father has indicated his preference for one child, he should contend with the attendant domestic crisis. The lecturers are in control of one critical aspect of the university system, while the other unions are in control of many other critical aspects. We have the lecture theatres, the accounts department, the gate, the general administration, and the lavatories among other aspects which the lecturers and the students still count on us to keep in shape for them. So you can see that one way or the other, we too have a stake in the running of the system. It is unfortunate that the Federal Government could afford to ignore others and hold dialogue with the ASUU alone. We are not disturbed, but we are waiting for them in all the universities in the country," Omolana told journalists.
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