NANTS slams National Secretary of NASU over “ indicting statement ” against Labour Ministry

The Leadership of the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) has described as “ludicrous and irresponsible” , statements credited to the General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions NASU, Comrade Peter Adeyemi indicting the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment over the registration process of NANTS.

Adeyemi was said to have made the statement during the Universities Trade Group Council meeting held at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta FUNAAB, Ogun State on 8th and 9th December, 2020.

A statement by Comrade ‘Niyi Akinnibi, National President, NANTS
says “ Information at our disposal indicated how the general secretary of NASU threw caution into the wind by making statements which deliberately indicted the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

We would not have joined issues over such a worthless and senseless statement, if the statement had not affected issue of our interest this is pending before the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

We were adequately informed that it was said at the meeting that the Ministry will not consider our application for Registration of our University Based Union that is pending before it and that all arsenal and machinery would be deployed to suppress the application and the process.

We equally have it on good authority that NASU meeting discussed about the selection of Executives of our Union NANTS as being lopsided and concentrated to a particular zone.

Within the thought of right-thinking members of the public, the NASU meeting has succeeded in indicting and ridiculing the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment with the afore statements.

As a law abiding and responsible Union, we find it appalling and ridiculous for NASU to have made such statements.

It is the collective thinking of the leadership and members of our great Union, the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) that the statements credited to NASU meetings concerning our Union is ludicrous, irresponsible and unfortunate.

Our justification for a University based Union, NANTS has further gained prominence in the eyes of every right-thinking members of the public and our esteemed members from Nigerian Universities across the Country.

We find it laughable that NASU meeting has nothing to discuss about the myriads of challenges and problems its members are facing in the Primary Schools, Secondary Schools, WAEC, Library, Research Institutions, Teaching Hospitals, Colleges of Education and Polytechnics only concentrate its agenda on discussing in its meeting that lasted for 2 days on castigating another law-abiding Union.

NASU a comatose Union at the moment because of its weak structure and leadership failure thought to gain prominence through cheap propaganda and blackmailing the leadership of our University based Union.

The pertinent and critical question we wish to ask at this stage are: what makes an amorphous Union like NASU a University based Union, who are the leaders of the Union, are the leadership of NASU entirely Universities workers like ASUU, SSANU and NAAT, what do they know about the workings of the University system, whose interest are they representing, is Unionism not a voluntary decision guaranteed by the law and whose interest would be negatively affected, if our University Based Union NANTS is eventually registered?

We equally find it derogatory, insulting and indicting against the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and its officials when General Secretary of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions NASU during the Universities Trade Group Council meeting held at the Federal University of Agriculture Abeokuta FUNAAB, Ogun State on 8th and 9th December, 2020 told his meeting that the Ministry will not consider our application for registration of our University Based Union that is pending before it and all arsenal and machinery would be deployed to suppress the application and the process.

We hereby wish to appeal to the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and its officials to be wary of sordid individuals whose expertise is in propaganda and blackmailing and never to allow the ministry to be dragged in the ocean of unnecessary and avoidable confusion over its lawful assignment.

The issue of Trade Union registration is a core mandate of the Ministry and same is provided for by the laws of the land.

Therefore, we advise the Ministry and its officials not allow any clandestine approach from any quarters to prevent it from performing its lawful duty.

Our esteemed members of the National Association of Non-Teaching Staff of Nigerian Universities (NANTS) in Nigerian Universities across the Country are hereby appealed to, to continue to have unwavering faith in the leadership of their great Union and jettison any market talk anywhere over the registration of the Union that is pending before the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.

We wish to reiterate and to rekindle our members hope that, our Union is not the only one that is seeking for registration from Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and that the Ministry can never be a tool or an appendage of anyone or organisation as being erroneously construed by the leadership of NASU. ”