Richard Anyebe
In what appears to be a way of breaking the ranks of the Academic Union of Universities (ASUU), the Federal Government (FG) has registered two unions in the university system.
FG Registers Two Academic Unions
The unions, which were registered on Tuesday, October 4th, are the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA).
CONUA, which has as its leader, Niyi Sunmonu, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, is a union for lecturers across the nation’s universities. The group was established in 2018 at OAU.
According to the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Chris Ngige, the two bodies will exist alongside ASUU.
The two association, Ngige revealed, will enjoy the rights and privileges accorded to other academic unions in the tertiary education system.
It is not clear what the implication of recognising the bodies will be on the seven month-long industrial action embarked upon by ASUU.
Kanyi Daily recalls that ASUU has been a strike since February 14, over improved welfare, revitalisation of public universities and academic autonomy among other demands.
In August, the union declared a total and indefinite extension of the strike, saying that the government has failed to satisfactorily meets its demands.
ASUU said one of its major contentions is the non-payment of university revitalisation funds, which amounts to about N1.1 trillion.
However, the government said it does not have such amount of money to pay.
The government based its inability to pay on low oil prices in the current administration of President Muhammadu Buhari
