The Nigerian government has made it clear that it will keep all of its promises to university-based groups and organized labor. This promise was made by Dr. Olatunji Alausa, Minister of Education, at the 3rd Quadrennial National Delegates Conference of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), which took place in Abuja. Alausa asked the unions to be patient and pointed out that the government was still working hard to meet its responsibilities, even though the economy and society were tough.
Alausa acknowledged that the unions were frustrated and had historical problems because agreements made by past administrations had not been kept. He specifically talked about the long-standing problems with workers’ rights, especially in the education field. The Minister reassured the unions that President Bola Tinubu, who is known for having strong democratic beliefs, would do everything possible to solve these problems. Besides that, he said that important changes were already being made in areas like health, education, and the business.
One of the main problems that came up at the conference was how to pay university workers’ back pay. It was promised by Alausa that the government would work to solve the problem and finish the payment process as soon as possible. He also talked about how important it is to make a good setting for learning, which means negotiating and following through on agreements in the right way. He said it again: when the welfare of staff is properly handled, it directly leads to a more stable and productive school system.
Comrade Ayuba Wabba, who used to be President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), agreed with what Alausa said. Wabba talked about how to support collective bargaining agreements and keep the peace in the workplace in a democracy. He stressed how important it is to have good leadership and be held accountable for following through on labor agreements. He said that Nigeria’s social and economic situations had gotten worse, which made it harder for workers to make ends meet. He said that one of the main causes of economic unrest and conflict in the country was people not keeping their promises. He also warned that any government that doesn’t follow the rules for joint bargaining will make things even less stable.
Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, President of SSANU, also spoke at the meeting and asked that union members’ salaries and other allowances that had been withheld be released. He specifically asked for the release of the last three months’ worth of pay that had been held back, as well as the N50 billion earned allowances and wage awards that had been waiting for a while. Ibrahim said that the last four years have been especially hard for Nigerian workers, especially those in the education sector, because of policies made by the government that, in his opinion, have made workers’ social and financial situations worse.
Ibrahim also talked about the bigger problems that Nigerian workers are having, like how the COVID-19 pandemic is affecting them and how government policies are making things harder for them. Even though there were many problems, he said, groups like SSANU had kept fighting for the rights of their members. But he also saw that the ongoing protests, strikes, and industrial actions had made people think that unions were too hostile, which made things even worse between workers and the government.
In conclusion, the government keeps telling labor unions that it is trying to keep its promises. However, the unions are still on high alert and holding the government responsible for the agreements that haven’t been kept. People are still calling for the government and unions to get along better. Both sides agree that they need to communicate better, be more open, and stick to deals so that there aren’t any more problems in the education sector or elsewhere. Everyone agrees that the end goal is to build a respectful environment that will help both workers and students in the long run.
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