The National Executive Council (NEC) of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU), has urged the Federal Government to kick-start the re-negotiation process of the SSANU/FG 2009 agreement.

A communiqué issued by the union's NEC at the end of its four days workshop and NEC meeting held at the Michael Iruoudu National Institute for Labour Studies (MINILS) Ilorin, Kwara State recently, said that the continued delay to kick start the process of re-negotiation of the agreement was detrimental to the growth of the education sector in the country.

The communique which was signed by the National president of the union, Comrade Sampson Ugwoke said that NEC in session had noted that the SSANU/FG 2009 agreement had been due for review since 2012 in line with the terms of the agreement that it should be reviewed every three years. "NEC in session noted that the continued delay in setting up a negotiation committee was not in the best interest of peace in our universities and called on government to immediately invite the union for discussion and negotiations".

"NEC further advised the government that the membership of the negotiation team should not be tilted towards only teaching staff in the university, but be balanced to include registrars, bursars and representatives of other constituent group in the system including tubnologists". The communique also lamented the low budgetary allocation to the education sector saying "NEC in session noted with disappointment that the educational sector still remains highly underfunded, as the 2016 budgetary allocation to the educational sector is still extremely low". "NEC notes that the education sector it grossly disproportionate to the needs of the sector and N403. 16 billion allocation is a far cry from the 26 percent UNESCO standard".

NEC in session notes that many countries with less incomes and population than Nigeria place more premium on budgetary allocation on education and finds if ironic that a government that promised to employ 500,000 teachers can devote so grossly meager sums to the educational sector".

The union therefore called on the Federal Government to urgently make provision for a supplementary budget to bridge the shortfall in order to create greater focus on building the human resource more than the oil and gas sector. The union NEC also decried the recent increase of electricity tariff and pump price of petrol.

If stressed that NEC in session frowned at the undateral and almost by multaneous increases in electricity tariff and the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) by the Federal Government in the name of removal of fuel subsidy. The union added that it expected the Federal Government to carry out high level consultations with relevant stakeholders and also sensitise the masses before effecting any price change in the country.