ASUU: FG Directs Two New Varsity Union To Commence Teaching

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, in a bid to weaken the influence of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), has directed CONUA and NAMDA to resume.

Naija News earlier reported that the FG okayed the registration of two varsity unions, the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA), which was split from the ASUU as a result of numerous letters that former ASUU members had sent to the Ministry of Labour and Employment complaining of mistreatment and rejecting the organization’s operating philosophy.

The minister made a point of saying that the registration of new unions is a step taken to make sure that no union will undermine university education in Nigeria. He stated that the acts of ASUU do not support the development of tertiary education in the nation.

He said: “Trade Union Act CAP. T14, Law of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 gives the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment powers to regroup an existing Trade Union of Worker or Employees.”

“In the view of the above, I Senator Chris Ngige, in the exercise of the powers conferred on me as the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, do hereby approve the registration of CONUA and NAMDA,” the minister added.

The minister added that the unions will be invited to all meetings and events involving university lecturers and that they now have the same rights as ASUU.

“ASUU will no longer be the only voice that speaks for Nigerian lecturers,” he continued, “as there are now three unions in the country’s tertiary education system. ASUU is still alive and will continue to have access to its legal rights,” he insisted, despite the fact that the two unions submitted registration applications in 2017 and 2018, respectively.

“These associations will exist side by side with ASUU in the Nigerian universities in the spirit and tenets of the International Labour Organisation (ILO) core convention. They are accordingly entitled to all rights and privileges accruing to such academic association/organization including but not limited to receiving check-off dues of their members,” said the minister.