By Gabriel Dike
The National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) has petitioned the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, over the exclusion of the union in renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
In a protest letter signed by NAMDA National President, Dr. Nosa Orhue and the acting Secretary General, Dr. Abdulrahman Shehu, warned that the discriminatory approach against NAMDA cannot guarantee industrial harmony in the university system. The protest letter dated April 7th, 2025 is titled: “Outcome of the meeting of the Minister of Education with the Technical Committee on the Non-Regular Earned Allowances: NAMDA’s position, was copied the Senate President, Speaker, House of Representatives, Minister of Labour and Employment, Chairman, Senate Committee on Education, Chairman, House Committee on Education, Minister of State, Minister of State for Education, Permanent Secretary of FME, President, TUC and President, NMA.
In the protest letter, the union drew the attention of the minister to a document dated April 4th, 2025 purported to have emanated from the Office of the Permanent Secretary, Federal Ministry of Education on the above subject matter, which it rejected.
“We have taken a close look at the three items and wish to state that we were not involved in their negotiation. Interestingly, we had complained in writing and verbally on discriminatory actions against our members and the union itself to you repeatedly.
“In response, a formal invitation was sent to our union to represent the medical and dental lecturers in the 2009 renegotiation with the FG’s committee within the university system in Nigeria through a letter dated 14th of February 2025,” NAMDA stated.
The union argued that content three of the letter from the PS is irreconcilable with the spirit of the invitation letter sent to the chairman, of the renegotiation committee and NAMDA, adding, “we wish to place on record that the committee did not hold any meeting with NAMDA in line with your directive, sir.”
It recalled that it drew the attention of the minister during a courtesy visit, on the series of meetings that involved unions in the university system to which NAMDA was not invited and his assurance that “once discussions concern our members you shall involve us.”
NAMDA stated that issues of Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and renegotiation of 2009 agreement concern its members with peculiarities but were not involved in any renegotiation.
NAMDA also recalled that when the ministry met with unions on implementation of migration from IPPIS and 23.5% and 35% on CONUASS adjustment in 2024, NAMDA was also not invited and this resulted in difficulty in payment for some of our members till date.
It explained that the agreement between the government committee on the 2009 renegotiation and ASUU does not serve its interest as a group of academicians with its peculiarity.
“NAMDA members should not have their welfare issues discussed in their absence,” the union warned.
NAMDA insisted that the report as contained in item three of the correspondence is not binding on the union and her members.
It called on the minister to urgently intervene in order to demonstrate its inclusivity and engage in a proper negotiation with all unions in the university sector.