As part of the moves to whittle down the influence of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the university system, the federal government will today (Tuesday), present a certificate of registration to the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), a breakaway faction of ASUU.
The federal government may have, with the recognition and presentation of the certificate of registration to CONUA, strategically broken the ranks of the unrelenting ASUU.
According to an invitation letter that was sent to journalists on Tuesday by the deputy director of press and public relations of the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, Oshundun Olajide, the minister of labour and employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, is expected to do the presentation.
CONUA, a breakaway faction of ASUU with a presence in a few federal universities, is led by its national coordinator, ‘Niyi Sunmonu, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
What the letter from the labour ministry is saying
The invitation from the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment reads, “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).
The Programme is scheduled to hold as follows:
“Date: Tuesday, 4th October 2022
“Venue: Hon. Minister Conference Room, Federal Secretariat, Phase 1, Abuja.
“Time: 2:00pm
“Your media organisation is invited to cover the event and strictly by invitation.”
In case you missed it
ASUU had on February 14, 2022, embarked on a 4-week strike to press home their unresolved demands on the federal government.
Some of the lecturers’ demands include funding for the revitalization of public universities, which amounts to N1.1 trillion, payment of earned academic allowances, and adoption of the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) as a preferred payment option, instead of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), payment of promotion arrears and the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN Agreement.
Efforts to get the academics back to class have failed until now as several negotiations between the union and the government have failed.
The federal government had in legal action against the union after several failed attempts at negotiations, filed an application through its lead counsel, Mr. James Igwe, for an interlocutory injunction, seeking an order of the court restraining ASUU from further continuing with the strike.
Despite a ruling by the National Industrial Court on Sept 21, 2022, ordering them to return to work, the University lecturers have remained adamant.
Last week, ASUU, through its lawyers, filed an appeal against the court ruling.
