By Olusegun Olanrewaju (Lagos) and Cross Udo (Abuja)
Amid unreconciled differences with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), the Federal Government yesterday presented a certificate of registration to a breakaway faction of universities’ lecturers’ union, the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA).

The presentation of a certificate of registration was a signal that the Federal Government has strategically broken the ranks of the unrelenting ASUU, which has been embroiled in an eight-month industrial action that crippled the public university system.

Before the registration, an invitation had been made available to newsmen by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Oshundun Olajide.

At the presentation, the new union, CONUA, was yesterday presented with a Certificate of Registration in the Conference Room of the Ministry of Labour and Employment.

Also registered as a trade union is the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA).

Announcing the registration yesterday in Abuja, Ngige said the two unions would operate along with ASUU.

Meanwhile, the National Coordinator of CONUA, ‘Niyi Sunmonu, has described the registration of the body as historic.

2023: Obi raises alarm over alleged secret arrest, intimidation of supporters

Sunmonu, in a statement, said, “The registration of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), as a Trade Union in the Nigerian university system, is monumentally historic.

“The hurdles we have faced to get here, since 2018 when we submitted our application for registration, have been seemingly insurmountable. The registration is, therefore, the validation of the power of the human will. It asserts the value of courage, initiative, focus, tenacity, patience, forbearance, and persistent positive thinking.

“We are immensely grateful to the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, and his team of diligent staff for insisting on merit, due process, and thoroughness all through the processing of our application for the registration of CONUA.

“The very strict and dispassionate review of our application brought out the best in the membership of the union.”

He added, “We regard the registration of CONUA as a sacred trust, and pledge to reciprocate by devoting ourselves unceasingly to the advancement of university education in this country. We would make the details of our programmes available to the public in due course.

“For now, we are giving the assurance that we would work to ensure that the nation is not traumatised again by academic union dislocations in the country’s public universities.

“We are also deeply grateful to the numerous personalities and well-wishers whose good counsel and concrete actions have facilitated the success we have witnessed today. We believe in the saying that to whom much is given, much is expected. We would therefore constantly strive to make them all proud of CONUA.”

Sumonu expressed the appreciation of the entire membership of the union for believing in the righteousness of the CONUA cause, and for believing in the leadership of the union, and thereby remaining statutorily steadfast, even when disconcerting and demoralising situations arose.

He stated, “In this journey, the invaluable role of the media cannot be discounted. We are truly grateful to the media and look forward to furthering mutually beneficial interactions as we strive for the development of this nation.

How ECOWAS Member States used Covid-19 to extort travellers

“Above all, we are grateful to Almighty God for granting us this grace.”

Public universities in the country have been shut down since February 14, 2022, when ASUU first proceeded on a one-month warning strike, which has now spanned eight months running.

*Registration of new union inconsequential, says ASUU

In its response to the registration, ASUU describes the registration of two new trade unions by the government for academic staff in the university system as inconsequential and does not pose any threat to its existence.

Its National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, said the recognition does not in any way affect the union.

“We are a disciplined and focused union, and we know what we are doing, and what we are after. Let them register as many unions as they like. That is inconsequential as far as we are concerned. We are not also in any way threatened. The sky is big enough for birds to fly.

He added, “We know our members, we know our strength, and we also know what our vision and mission are. Our members are not saboteurs or bootlickers. Our struggle is for a better educational system in the country.

“If the system is good, all of us will benefit, and it is not only ASUU members’ children and wards that are going to benefit from improved funding and the provision of better facilities in our institutions.”

Osodeke also reacted to the allegation by the presidency that ASUU members are steeped in corruption in the university system, describing such as unfounded.

He said, “As a union, we have been championing transparency and accountability in the university system. That is why we are calling for the adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as the payment platform in the university system. Those indicted for misappropriating over N100bn through their IPPIS, are they our members?

“Moreover, one of our demands is that Visitation Panels be set up to probe the activities and the finances of universities in the country. If we don’t want corruption stamped out, we would not be asking for that,” he explained.

Man ties wife to well over infidelity in ondo

*CONUA’s genesis

The new rival body, CONUA, comprises lecturers from an initial five universities who congregated under the auspices of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA).

The lecturers endorsed a split from the 41-year-old ASUU.

As of the time of recognition, CONUA is made up of Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State; Kwara State University, Malete; Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma, Edo State; Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.

Speaking to the press in Ile-Ife where they met recently, an ad hoc spokesman, Sunmonu, of the OAU, said the new union, which was until yesterday unregistered, would explore a different way of running academic staff unions in the universities.

Sunmonu said, “For the standard of education to be very high, we need a stable academic calendar. We need to be able to predict academic sessions.

We need to have innovation which is difficult without continuity.

“We also need to be in tune with modern realities. Our union will approach the matter of engagement with all stakeholders in an engaging manner to have a common ground for moving forward.

“Our union is not anti-government, if the government and by extension, administrators of universities are doing well, we will let the world know and we will quickly knock them down, provide alternative constructive criticism and take them to task where they are not doing well. We will not wait for them to make mistakes before we intervene.”

He added, “We have the vision and will provide ahead what can be done to have better results. If that is done, we are sure we will have a better way to move forward. Members believe we should have alternative ways of solving problems.

“Members have been contributing very well to the finance of the union. When we fulfill and do all that we need to do, financial constraints will be forgotten. We have been at this for over three years in Ife. We have been waxing stronger, and members from other universities have been experiencing what we experienced here, hence, the decision to come together to form a national union.”

Russia fines video streaming service Twitch, citing misinformation

*The ASUU strike in perspective

ASUU began its warning strike on February 14, 2022, to demand that the Federal government fulfil the 2009 agreement with the union.

The signed agreement with the union requires that the government commits N200 billion annually for five years to the revitalisation of the public university education sector. To meet the segment of the ASUU demand, the union demanded that the Federal Government must cough out N1 trillion.

The union also said the government refused to include earned academic allowances in the 2022 budget as promised.

Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige had said the Federal Government does not have the funds to meet some of the demands of ASUU.

The union had been demanding that the union deliberate on whether to embark on a fresh strike or not at its National Executive Council (NEC) meeting held at the University of Lagos.

ASUU had earlier said its resolution on the strike action would be announced at the end of its two-day meeting which started on Saturday, February 12, 2022.

Progressively, all attempts to end the strike proved abortive, despite the fact of boycotts by some universities.

Students, tired of sitting at home after months of deadlock, took to the streets to protest.

The students expressed their frustration over the incessant strike of university teachers and urged the Federal Government to heed ASUU demands.