FG Set To Approve CONUA To Weaken ASUU

As the struggle between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities continues, which has made the union to be on strike for over 6 months, there has been a rumour that the Federal Government has been finding a means to weaken ASUU.

There are signs that the federal government moved to recognize and register an ASUU splinter group, the Congress of University Academics (CONUA), after it had applied for registration for four years.

Recently, the group demanded that the government recognize and register it as an academic staff union within the Nigerian university system.

CONUA asserted that it has fulfilled all requirements set forth by the Ministry of Labour and Employment in order to be registered.

ALSO READ: Wike Breaks Silence After Alleged Meeting With Tinubu, Attacks Lamido

CONUA requested registration with the Ministry of Labour and Employment four years ago as a distinct academic staff union of the university through the Trade Union’s registrar office.

Under the condition of anonymity, a source at the Ministry of Education revealed to Vanguard that the competing academic staff union has since applied to the government to be registered as a separate body.

Insinuations that CONUA was being used by the government to undermine ASUU were refuted in the report by Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, the National Coordinator of CONUA.

He stated that CONUA were members of ASUU before some issues came up in 2016 at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile Ife, and when justice was not done and majority of members felt it was a deviation from what a union should stand for, CONUA eventually came up in 2018.