There is no doubt that the perennial face-off between the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the federal government over salary entitlements and the reformation of the public universities in Nigeria has put the country’s tertiary education sector in limbo for many years.
Sadly, there is hardly any graduate of public universities today without being a victim of several strikes.
Thus, addressing the root causes of the strike such as funding for education, poor working conditions of lecturers, staff, and lack of resources for students become imperative and has been considered to be one of the meaningful ways to end the most notorious challenges affecting the continued learning of university students.
However, it is significant to note that stakeholders come to the understanding that ending a strike in Nigeria’s public universities can only be achieved through a combination of negotiation and compromise and both parties must go to the negotiation table with minds to extend and embrace the olive branch.
As negotiations and dialogue take the front burner in a move to proffer lasting solutions to incessant strikes, the federal government has already adopted means in its wisdom to address the issues by registering a new union to rival the ASUU.
Upon the new union recognition in October last year, minister of labour and employment, Dr Chris Ngige maintained that they now have powers by their registration to operate in parallel with ASUU. This according to him is in the spirit of freedom of association.
According to the minister, the new unions were offshoots of regrouping, and their applications were considered by two committees of his ministry, with the registrar of Trade Unions participating when the first recommendation for approval was given in 2019, and again in 2022.
Ngige added CONUA exists as a parallel union for efficiency and effectiveness in the university system and more importantly, to protect these groups of university teachers whose worldview differs from the parent union.
Although the organised labour had rejected the formation of the new unions since the federal government accorded them recognition, demanding the withdrawal of the letters issued to the unions in 2022 because their registration contravened the laws guiding trade unionism.
But the minister of Labour and Employment, while responding to that demand, insisted that the Trade Dispute Act 2004 gives him the sole power to register new trade unions, either by registering a new union or regrouping existing ones.
According to ASUU, the registration of CONUA in the university trade union system is inconsequential and does not pose any threat to its existence.
Speaking to journalists, ASUU national president, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke said, the registration of CONUA “does not in any way affect us. 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.”
LEADERSHIP Weekend gathered that CONUA already has branches in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, University of Benin, Federal University, Lokoja, Federal University, Oye Ekiti, Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, University of Jos among others.
Reacting after the presentation of certificate of registration, CONUA national president, Dr Niyi Sunmonu said the primary purpose of the union is to promote the welfare of its members while being constantly conscious of the overriding national interest.
He said, “With this complete registration, we assure Nigerians that we shall embark on meaningful and realistic discussions and negotiations with the Federal Government and all other stakeholders on how we can get a better deal for university lecturers and indeed for better working of the entire system without necessarily rocking and sinking the boat.
Ever since CONUA was registered, many Nigerian university academics were liberated from the bondage of ASUU. There has been a breath of fresh air in the system, that is now ventilated with the air of freedom. Freedom of association and freedom of choice across the ideological divides. One important implication about the registration of additional academic unions by the Hon Minister is that there may never be a total shutdown of our Universities again ever”.
FG Consensus For CONUA
According to CONUA, the federal government is already committed to paying its members their full salary.
Sadly, ASUU continues its battle with the federal government over half salary payment hinged on the “No Work No Pay policy” with the federal government, arguing that it cannot pay ASUU members salaries for the period they were on strike.
He noted that the “letter from the federal government asking the national officers to submit the list of members of CONUA among other things that we are asked to supply with respect to payment of backlog of salaries and check-up dues.
“That to us is a welcome development and a process that we will see through to the end. CONUA has consistently maintained before now, that it didn’t declare any strike and by the provision of section 43 subsection 1B of the trade dispute act, what happened to members of CONUA can be taken to be what happens in the provision of that section.
“It is a lockout for us. At certain times, students in the universities were asked to vacate the university premises by the management. To our mind, what the government is implementing is a ‘no work no pay’ policy. We believed we wanted to work, we didn’t declare a strike, and the students that we needed to teach were asked to vacate campus.
“So, it will be unjust for the government to apply its ‘no work no pay’ policy on us, and on that principle is what we are following through which we wrote letters to various ministries and it is consistent that we have never declared strike and we are not strike.”
According to a letter circulated in the office of the accountant general of the federation, Department of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System Department, issued on 13th January, 2023 and signed by Charles Wall, the director, of IPPIS and addressed to CONUA president, the federal government asked members of the union to submit list for the payment of withheld salaries and check-off dues.
The letter with the Ref No: OAGF/IPPIS/1045/1/67 reads, “I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter on the above subject matter dated 2nd November, 2022 in respect of payment of your withheld backlog of salaries and request you to provide soft copy of membership of CONUA across universities to enable payment as requested.
“Meanwhile, you may wish to forward the following details to facilitate seamless deduction and remittance of check-off dues.
“Please note that details of members which must always be hard and soft copies should also include individual IPPIS numbers for ease of identification. While we appreciate your understanding, kindly accept the assurances of the warm regard of the Accountant General of the Federation,” it added.
Reacting to the development, a civil society organisation Northern Youth for Good Leadership and Governance, said the existence of CONUA as a rival to ASUU will not stand.
Speaking to LEADERSHIP Weekend the president of the Northern Youth for Good Leadership and Governance, Labaran Abubakar, hailed the role of ASUU in ensuring their best for the public university.
He said although ASUU wants the government to realise that education is the key to nation building, on the other hand, they should stop making things difficult for Nigeria students, in the sense that they should not come up with a bogus demand that will cripple students not going to school for a long period.
He said, “I believe that it is because of their bogus demands, that is why they have a rival union. In all, I can say that the rival union needs concerted effort and support to stand, and this is because ASUU has held the helmsman position for Nigerian universities for a very long time.
“My findings show that some ASUU members are also not ready to join them, and I understand that it is a challenge for ASUU to also wake up.
“We cannot continue this way. A four years course should be four years. It is sad that students now run a four-year course for six to seven years or even eight years, the system cannot continue this way.”
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