“COPSUN warned that ” the penchant for State-Owned universities’ lecturers to cry more than the bereaved must stop otherwise the extant rule of “no work no pay” shall always apply.”
*Photo: Yusuf Ali SAN*
The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (COPSUN) has warned lecturers in the institutions to stay away from Federal Government universities’ strike actions.
COPSUN which is chaired by Mallam Yusuf Olaolu Ali SAN, gave the warning at its 58th Quarterly Meeting held at the Committee of Vice Chancellors’ Conference Centre, Abuja.
In the communique issued at the end of the meeting, COPSUN said “REITERATING its consistent position that State-Owned universities’ workers should maintain and respect their independence and always stay away from Federal Government universities’ strike actions, the Pro-Chancellors believed it was wrong and in-appropriate for workers in state-owned universities paid by their various governments, to join workers in Federal universities to proceed on sympathy strike, when they do not have industrial dispute with their employers. The practice negates the principle of true federalism.”
COPSUN warned that ” the penchant for State-Owned universities’ lecturers to cry more than the bereaved must stop otherwise the extant rule of “no work no pay” shall always apply.”
The Pro-Chancellors observed that the last strike embarked upon by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) that lasted eight months was ” the longest and the 16th time the universities’ lecturers would be on strike in 23 years and was nothing to be proud about after 62 years of independence.”
While commending ASUU for obeying the order of the Courts by calling off the strike, they advised the Union to approach the court of law for issues about salaries and other outstanding grievances rather than embarking on another strike and resorting to self-help.
COPSUN advised the Federal Government on its part to build inflationary trend into the salaries and emoluments at fixed periods to avoid having to go to the negotiation table for salary adjustment all the time and forestall incessant industrial crisis. It further urged that negotiations and agreements on salaries of universities’ workers be domesticated and left to the duly constituted Governing Councils in the true spirit and practice of autonomy in the university system as is the practice in many parts of the world.
On politics, COPSUN said the ” build-up to the 2023 General Elections is taking the same form and shape as in all previous ones”, and appealed to the political class to specifically proffer solutions to the persistent crisis in the education sector among other germane issues of crucial importance to the Nation.
Read the full communique below:

COMMUNIQUE ISSUED AT THE 58TH MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF PRO-CHANCELLORS OF STATE-OWNED UNIVERSITIES ON
13TH DECEMBER, 2022, ABUJA
The Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities (COPSUN) at the end of its 58th Quarterly Meeting, held at the Committee of Vice Chancellors’ Conference Centre, Abuja reviewed the State of the Nation, particularly the build-up to the 2023 General Elections and the education sector and resolved as follows:
1. 2023 GENERAL ELECTIONS
CONCERNED that the build-up to the 2023 General Elections is taking the same form and shape as in all previous ones, the Committee of Pro-Chancellors of State-Owned Universities calls for issue-based campaigns and manifestos rather than mudslinging and inanities. It appealed to the political class to specifically proffer solutions to the persistent crisis in the education sector among other germane issues of crucial importance to the Nation.
2. COPSUN appealed to all the stakeholders in our democratic process especially INEC; Security Agencies, Political Parties and the electorate to imbibe the culture of giving credence to the ballot. The time has come to discourage and punish vote-buying and money politics in our Nation. We must shun all acts of violence before, during and after the elections.
3. ASUU- FG FACE OFF
COPSUN observed that the last strike of ASUU that lasted eight months was the longest and the 16th time the universities’ lecturers would be on strike in 23 years and was nothing to be proud about after 62 years of independence. It commended ASUU for obeying the order of the Courts by calling off the strike. It advised the Union to approach the court of law for issues about salaries and other outstanding grievances rather than embarking on another strike and resorting to self-help.
4. COPSUN advised the Federal Government to build inflationary trend into the salaries and emoluments at fixed periods to avoid having to go to the negotiation table for salary adjustment all the time and forestall incessant industrial crisis. It further urged that negotiations and agreements on salaries of universities’ workers be domesticated and left to the duly constituted Governing Councils in the true spirit and practice of autonomy in the university system as is the practice in many parts of the world.
5. REITERATING its consistent position that State-Owned universities’ workers should maintain and respect their independence and always stay away from Federal Government universities’ strike actions, the Pro-Chancellors believed it was wrong and in-appropriate for workers in state-owned universities paid by their various governments, to join workers in Federal universities to proceed on sympathy strike, when they do not have industrial dispute with their employers. The practice negates the principle of true federalism. It warned that the penchant for State-Owned universities’ lecturers to cry more than the bereaved must stop otherwise the extant rule of “no work no pay” shall always apply.
6. APPEALED to the Federal Government and all the relevant Security Agencies not to relent in their efforts to curtail all acts of criminality – banditry, kidnapping, armed robbery, insurgency, assassination etc. The citizens should be free to go about their daily duties, as guaranteed by the Constitution and not as allowed by bandits.
7. COPSUN further called on the Executive and Legislature to put a stop on the establishment and proliferation of tertiary institutions in the country. It believed that if the existing tertiary institutions are well funded, their capacities to admit more students will be enhanced and monies which would otherwise go into payment of overheads can be deployed to improve the infrastructure in the existing institutions.
8. COPSUN applauded the new Governor of Osun State, Senator Ademola Adeleke for retaining the Governing Council of the Osun State University constituted by his predecessors in office. This step is commendable, given the penchant of new governors to dissolve boards of extra- ministerial bodies and councils of tertiary institutions once there is a change of guards. The old practice has the tendency to dampen the morale of our patriots that would want to give service to government bodies and institutions. Except for proven cases of glaring partisanship, incompetence, corruption and other negative tendencies, such boards and councils should be allowed to conclude their tenure. They should not be subjected to the vagaries of change of political leadership.
Mr. Marcus Awobifa
Secretary
COMMITTEE OF PRO-CHANCELLORS OF
STATE-OWNED UNIVERSITIES (COPSUN).