FG moves to recognise CONUA, ASUU faction, as academic union

The federal government is set to officially recognise the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), a breakaway faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), as an academic union.

In 2018, CONUA parted ways with ASUU over disagreements on some issues.

The faction, led by ‘Niyi Sunmonu, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU) in Ile-Ife, has been seeking to be registered since then.

According to PUNCH, Chris Ngige, minister of labour and employment, will present a certificate of registration to the faction on Tuesday.

It is understood that Oshundun Olajide, deputy director of press and public relations at the ministry of labour and employment, announced the event in an invitation sent to journalists.

The event is scheduled to take place at the minister’s conference room in Abuja.

The move is believed to be an attempt reduce the influence of ASUU amid its lingering strike that have grounded activities in Nigerian universities for over seven months.

It also comes weeks after the government threatened to withdraw ASUU’s registration licence for allegedly not submitting its audited financial returns for over five years.

ASUU has been on strike since February 14 over alleged refusal of the federal government to meet its demands.

Several meetings held between representatives of the union and the government to address the strike did not yield any result.

On September 21, the national industrial court had ordered ASUU to call off its ongoing nationwide strike.

But the union has filed an appeal seeking a stay of execution of the judgment.