UCH NASU Election: Delegates are not true representatives—Concerned Members

 Concerned members of the Non Academic Staff Union and Associated Institutions(NASU) in the University College Hospital(UCH), Ibadan, Nigeria  have expressed their lack of confidence in the choice of the delegates mode of election in the re-scheduled elections of the union.

They expressed their dissatisfaction in a chat with Solomon2day.

The election comes up on Wednesday, 12 March, 2025.

''We do not have confidence in the electoral method of election. We are not comfortable with the electoral college method of elections; delegates who were handpicked by non-NASU members, including heads of departments, form the bulk of the departmental representatives. The elections do not reflect the popular wish of members. We ought to have been allowed to choose our leaders by the direct method,they lamented.

In a related development, the branch chairman f the union, Comrade Kehinde Abiona has faulted in disqualification to re-contest he rescheduled branch elections.

''There was a  directive from the national headquarters of the union that I have been disqualified to re-contest. The reason adduced was that a decision to increase the rate of subscription from 1 per cent to 2 per cent.   was taken a the 2019 rules conference of NASU. The union claimed that since I attended the the rules conference in person, I ought to have pushed for its implementation in the UCH, but  I failed to do so. And this resulted in underpayment to the union's national headquarters,'' Comrade Abiona stated.

However, he lamented that the proposal of subscription rate reduction from 1.5 per cent to 1 per cent was rejected in the 2019 rules conference saying,''they heaped  the blame on me that I cased the under subscription. But can such a claim be established? The union's constitution has been in existence since 2011 and we came into office in 2019. Why are they blaming me for the under subscription?''

The Local Scene

Millions of Nigerians have remained without employment for a long while.

Indeed, government officials continue to paste posters of non-existent vacancies in public places across the states of Nigeria under the cover of darkness.

Mediocrity has been upgraded to an embarrassing position, just as crime and criminality have now become the major priority of disappointed Nigerians.

Economically disadvantaged and dehumanized Nigerians now engage in various criminal acts to keep body and soul together.