State Universities cannot be forced to implement any agreement reached between the Federal Government and lecturers in Federal Universities under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Committee of Pro-chancellors of state universities said on Monday
In a statement by its Secretary, Marcus Awobifa on Monday, the Pro – Chancellors also made a case for the democratisation of memberships of unions in universities.
They called for devolution of powers on the issues of labour, wages and salaries with freedom of the employers to negotiate with their employees, as it is practiced in other parts of the world, where we borrowed the university system.
In a communiqué, the pro-chancellors said: “The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-owned Universities read with alarm and disbelieve a statement made by the President of the ASUU Prof. Emmanuel Osodike on a television programme on Arise, where he said that State Universities are “irrelevant and quacks” on 26th August, 2022.
“Our first reaction was to ignore this tendentious, ill-conceived and flagrant unconscionable statement by the President of ASUU, but on reflection, it was thought necessary to do a rejoinder to this rather unfortunate statement having regard to the position of the President of ASUU in the scheme of things in our University system in Nigeria.
“Though, COPSUN will not want to go into any diatribe with the President of ASUU, the Committee wishes to state as follows to put records straight:
“That the Pro-Chancellors of our State Universities and indeed members of the Councils are distinguished and accomplished eminent persons who had served and are still serving this Nation in many capacities. Amongst the members are retired Ambassadors, retired Generals in the Armed forces, retired Vice-Chancellors, Senior Advocates of Nigeria, renowned politicians and other distinguished professionals.
“COPSUN wishes to appeal to the President of ASUU to realise that the membership of ASUU is voluntary. Therefore, it is not his ill-informed approach and denigration of state universities that will lead to fashioning out creative approaches to avoid existential extinction that will solve the myriad of problems confronting the University system in Nigeria.”
Some state universities have come under fire over their failure to pull out of the ongoing strike declared by the national body of ASUU.
The Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong had said the agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU won’t be binding on state universities.
However, Prof Osodeke alongside some state university ASUU chairman had kicked against the development saying that “ASUU is one.”
The pro-chancellors noted that “very unfortunate ill digested view of the President of ASUU has vindicated the position of this Committee on the following issues; The negative professionalisation of offices of the Unions that operate in our Universities and the unserious believe among many members of the Unions that the Unions are superior to the Councils of the Universities that are their employers.”
