CONUA: FG recognises factional ASUU union in public varsities
In a move seen as plotting to break the ranks of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who have been on a seven-month old industrial action, Federal Government, Tuesday moved to recognise a factional trade union in the academic sector, the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA).
A notice sent to various organisations and signed by the Director of Press and Public Relations of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Oshundun Olajide, said Federal Government will present a Certificate of Registration to the CONUA group, Tuesday in Abuja.
“The Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, cordially invites you to the recognition and presentation of Certificate of Registration to the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA),” read the notice.
CONUA has been operating as faction of ASUU under the direction of National Coordinator, Niyi Sunmonu, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
OAU is still part of the ASUU strike, despite its lecturer heading a factional teachers’ union.
Minister of Labour, Ngige has been at loggerheads with the ASUU leadership, as latest meeting brokered by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila ended in another deadlock as the minister reportedly walked out on the meeting over non-academic related matter, last week.
ASUU had declared the commencement of a strike on Monday, February 14, 2022, during its Lagos meeting,
The lecturers have been on strike despite several meetings with the Federal Government, reportedly making concessions, including the adoption of the contentious University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as the payment platform of lecturers.
The Office of the Accountant General of the Federation has also promised to accommodate all issues concerning payment platforms such as the IPPIS, UTAS and others
So far, sister unions in the tertiary education circle, including the Senior Staff Association of Nigeria Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Education Institutions (NASU) have announced suspension of their industrial action. In addition, the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) has since suspended its three-month old nationwide strike.
SSANU and NASU suspended their industrial action, last week Saturday, following a meeting with the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu in Abuja, earlier Friday.
Only last month, ASUU moved to call the strike ‘indefinite,’ following failure to reach an agreement with the Federal Government over the contentious ‘no work-no pay’ rule sought by the Minister, Ngige.
Also the last month, government had obtained an injunction at the National Industrial Court in Abuja, which ordered the lecturers to suspend their strike, however, ASUU has since lodged an appeal before the court.
According to President of ASUU, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, the union is demanding; the signing of June 2022 agreement; adoption of UTAS; N170billion for NEEDS; N50billion for arrears; White Papers from visitation panels; Intervention on the Draft Bill; as well as; Payment of salaries since March 2022.