Year in Review: ASUU Strike: Top Universities That Adopted CONUA
- The registration of the Congress of University Academics by the federal government became a major force to reckon with in the educational sector
- In fact, reacting to the development in October, the leadership of ASUU maintained it is not bothered by the FG's move, noting CONUA does not pose a threat to its existence
- Meanwhile, the alleged refusal by FG to comply with an agreement it earlier entered into with ASUU led the union to embark on a strike action that lasted over eight months in the year 2022
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In the year 2022, Nigerian students spent over eight months at home and this was due to the face-off between the Academic Staff Union of Universities, (ASUU) and the federal government.
Interestingly, a faction of ASUU, operating under the aegis of the Congress of Nigerian University Academics, (CONUA), denounced the strike action by the nation’s public university lecturers, and this move became a major highlight in the polity.
It then turned to a face-off between ASUU and CONUA, resulting in court actions.
Source: Facebook
However, some Universities in Nigeria seem to be interested in being strong members of CONUA, whilst ignoring ASUU's move.
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This piece by Legit.ng sought to find out certain factors that led to the formation of CONUA and its registration in 2022 as well as the top Nigerian universities under the union.
What really led to the formation of CONUA
In 2016, the Obafemi Awolowo University, OAU, Ile Ife chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU was enmeshed in a serious crisis and as usual, leaders and members of the union took the matter to the national leadership for resolution.
However, instead of the crisis being resolved, some of the members felt the national leadership took sides with the leaders of the local chapter that they had grouse with.
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As CONUA steadily plucks the low-hanging fruits of academics across Nigerian Universities, it is a matter of time that its presence will be felt in all Universities and Nigerians will begin to witness responsible unionism and smooth academic calendars.
CONUA was registered in 2022 by FG
The issues dragged till 2018 and when the aggrieved members waited endlessly for a solution that did not come, they formed the Congress of University Academics (CONUA).
The new academic union addressed as the Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA) finally scaled through registration hurdles as the Federal Government registered it in the public university system to exist alongside the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The minister of labour and employment, Senator Dr. Chris Ngige, presented the certificate to the union on Tuesday, October 4th, 2022, in Abuja.
Since it was formed, it struggled to get registered until that was done on Tuesday.
Universities that adopted CONUA
The body now has members in 12 universities across the country including OAU, Federal University, Lokoja, Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma, Edo State, Federal University, Oye Ekiti in Ekiti State among others.
Here is a list of Universities under CONUA:
- Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU),
- Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma
- Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE);
- Federal University, Lokoja (FUL) and
- Kwara State University (KWASU), Molete
The institutions mentioned above were the founding members of CONUA.
Others are;
Interestingly, the Union has recently considered and approved requests from eight universities namely:
- Federal University, Wukari, Taraba State (FUW);
- Federal University Gashua, Yobe State (FUGA);
- Federal University Dutsinma;
- Umaru Musa Yar’Adua University, Katsina, Katsina State (UMYU);
- Alex Ekwueme Federal University, Ndufu-Alike Ikwo, Ebonyi State (AE-FUNAI)
- Ignatius Ajuru University of Education, Port Harcourt (IAUE),
- University of Uyo,
- Federal University Otuoke, Bayelsa State (FUOB).
Meanwhile, it would be important to note that the incessant face-off between ASUU and the government no doubt hasten the registration of CONUA in the year 2022.
ASUU Strike: Buhari breaks silence, sends caution to university lecturers
President Muhammadu Buhari has urged the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other trade unions to negotiate rather than go on strike to make their demands known.
The president said this on Thursday, November 17, at the 74th foundation day and convocation ceremonies of the University of Ibadan.
Buhari was represented at the ceremonies by Professor Abubakar Rasheed, the executive secretary of the national university commission (NUC).
Why 99.9% of ASUU strikes can’t pass scrutiny of law in Nigeria - prominent law lecturer discloses
Legit.ng earlier reported that Following the 7 month ASUU strike in Nigeria, Misbau Lateef, a law teacher from the University of Hull, disclosed to Legit.ng that the strike is illegal.
Lateef, who taught law at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, before moving to the United Kingdom, is the national legal adviser of CONUA, a breakaway group from ASUU.
The lecturer maintains that none of the strikes embarked on either by ASUU, NLC, or other unions can't pass the scrutiny of law in Nigeria because no strike is expected to last more than 5 days.
Source: Legit.ng
