WAEC Industrial Disputes: Northern group questions NASU hqters’ role, calls for mediation

Group under the guise of Northern Youth Council of Nigeria (NYCN), has called on the headquarters of the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions (NASU) to reassess its role in the prolonged industrial disharmony between NASU’s WAEC branch and the management of the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Nigeria.

NYCN made this known in a statement by its National President, Isah Abubakar, and made available to newsmen in Kaduna on Friday.

The Council expressed concern over what it described as the prolonged breakdown in industrial relations within WAEC and urged the national leadership of NASU to adopt a more conciliatory approach capable of restoring harmony in the organization.

The NYCN acknowledged NASU’s longstanding role as a labour union committed to protecting the interests of its members but argued that such responsibility should be balanced with the broader objective of promoting industrial peace and institutional stability.

According to the statement, the Council’s intervention followed a petition it received from a concerned Nigerian who questioned the role played by NASU Headquarters in the dispute between the union’s WAEC branch and the examination body’s management.

It alleged that, the union’s interventions had been perceived by some stakeholders as lacking neutrality, prompting the Council to examine the issues raised in NASU’s correspondence with WAEC management.

The NYCN argued that,  the establishment of investigative committees is fundamentally a management responsibility intended to ensure objective fact-finding rather than disciplinary action.

The Council further expressed reservations over the inclusion of the reduction in the duration of the West African Senior School Certificate Examination (WASSCE) among NASU’s demands.

It noted that the examination timetable is determined at the regional level across member countries and questioned the relevance of retaining the issue after the successful completion of the examination.

On the allegation of indiscriminate recruitment of contract Examination Officers and Assistant Examination Officers, the NYCN said an objective assessment of recruitment patterns over the past decade was necessary to determine whether the concerns reflected genuine institutional irregularities or were influenced by factors unrelated to established procedures.

The Council also urged NASU Headquarters to critically examine other issues raised by its WAEC branch, including allegations of incessant dismissals, disproportionate sanctions, attempts to weaken the union, implementation of the minimum net pay balance policy, and the suspension of staff upgrade programmes.

According to the NYCN, the union’s national leadership is better positioned to determine whether disciplinary actions taken by WAEC management resulted from violations of established regulations or represented unfair labour practices.

The Council is therefore appealing for NASU to initiate a mediation process aimed at rebuilding trust between its WAEC branch and the management of the examination body.

The NYCN said a constructive dialogue, founded on mutual understanding and cooperation, would better serve the interests of workers, management and the institution than a prolonged industrial confrontation.

The group also urged NASU Headquarters to reflect on public perceptions surrounding its involvement in the dispute and reaffirm its commitment to promoting industrial harmony, organisational development and the long-term stability of WAEC Nigeria.