What we shall do otherwise – ASUU faction, CONUA

myDelsu News Staff 2

173 2 minutes read

The Congress of Nigerian University Academics, a breakaway section of the Academic Staff Union of Institutions, has announced what the new lecturers’ union will do differently in resolving the crisis gripping Nigerian universities, notably periodic strike activities.

Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, National Coordinator of CONUA, emphasized the need of democratizing the university setting, noting that this is what academics should strive for, adding that academics must examine issues from all perspectives.

Sunmonu stated that there should not be a fixed point of view on matters, stressing that it should not be “either this way or the highway.”

Sunmonu, speaking on Arise TV’s ‘News Night’ on Tuesday, said strike action has been used to press home demands in the country for well over 40 years, adding, “in that period of 40 years, we’ve had different kinds of governments, the military dictators, the democracy that we all enjoy; we’ve had one response, and that response is put pen to paper on agreement and renege on the agreement later.”

“These deals, to us, are done under duress; the other side, the government you’re speaking with, comes to a meeting with a relaxed mind that once they have a workable agreement, they’ll honor that.”

Sunmonu stated that even in battles, conflicts are handled at the table; why not commit more time to that to save casualties? Parents and pupils are casualties in this case.”

“We want to employ all our faculties, all our networks to table dialogues that will lead to a win-win situation,” he said.

The Federal Government registered CONUA and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics on Tuesday to undermine ASUU’s power.

Chris Ngige, minister of labor and productivity, said the two unions would exist alongside ASUU.

Since 2022-02-14, ASUU has been on strike. The union, the most respected umbrella organisation for university lecturers in Nigeria, wants improved welfare conditions for its members, proper funding for universities, and the replacement of the government-introduced payment mechanism with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution. ASUU created it after IPPIS complained about poor standardization and incompatibility with the university system.

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