The Association of Registrars of Nigerian Universities (ARNU) has asked all unions in the institutions currently on strike to change their approach when pressing home their demands.
The registrars, who are also members of one of the striking unions, Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), said strikes had grave consequences on the economy of the country.
The chairman of ARNU, Dr Abubakar Mamuda, who stated this in Abuja while speaking at the 71st Business Meeting of the association, said the devastating effects the strike would have on students, quality of education and the registrars themselves might be hard to overcome in the long run.
‘’It is true that the struggles of the unions have brought about significant benefits to the Nigeria University System (NUS). However, in view of its negative effects to the system, there is a need for change in the approach of the unions in pressing home their demands,’’ he said.
When asked to suggest an alternative approach for the aggrieved unions and the striking workers, the ARNU boss said, ‘’Some have suggested that we should go the way of Germany, that a co-determination approach be adopted where work councils would be established for NUS.
‘’The work councils will comprise representatives of employees and government then issues of conditions of services and remuneration will be tackled without obstruction to academic activities.’’
But the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba, who was the keynote speaker, argued that no union was interested in the ongoing strike, insisting that lack of honouring agreements on the part of government made unions and workers resort to strike.
Wabba, who spoke on the theme, ‘Managing Trade Unions and University Administration in an Era of Uncertainty’, said government officials were not truthful in saying Nigeria lacked resources to fund education.
‘’Nigeria is one of the countries that are very rich in terms of human and mineral resources. If anyone says we don’t have resources to fund education, the person is not truthful,’’ Wabba said, adding that no registrar’s salary was up to $800.
