The Federal Government has issued certificates of registration to the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), a breakaway faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the Nigeria Association of Medical and Dental Lecturers in Academics (NAMDA).

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, who presented the certificates of registration to the two new unions in Abuja on Tuesday, noted that a good number of lecturers in the public university sector who does not share in the models, objectives and modus of ASUU, have long indicated interest to resume academic activities while negotiations continue with the government.

According to him, these group of lecturers who applied for registration of their trade union union, CONUA since 2018, have been patiently waiting on the government to consider it’s requests to enable them organise their members with the view of better developing the nation’s public tertiary institution.

He said: “The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment in the discharge of her mandate in the management of Employment Relationships and the Administration of Trade Unions to ensure harmonious industrial relations system in the nation has decided to approve the registration of two more trade unions in the Nigerian university academic sub sector. The university sub-sector is a major development plank of any nation’s socio economic growth. Knowledge they say is power.

“In the last eight months, the classrooms in the nation’s public universities have been shut and students kept at home by the strike action embarked upon by ASUU and this ugly situation has persisted despite series of engagements to resolve the trade dispute by the Federal Government through the Federal Ministry of Education.

“In line with the provisions of the Trade Disputes Act, CAP. TS, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004, this strike was apprehended and conciliations were done in this ministry on February 22, 2022, and March 1, 2022. However, all efforts at conciliation failed resulting in the transmission of the trade dispute to the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) for adjudication in line with the statutory trade dispute resolution processes.

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“At the NICN, an interlocutory injunction order was obtained asking the union to get back to work while the substantive suit is being heard; an order ASUU leadership and members refused to obey. Interestingly, a lot of university teachers in the public universities had indicated their willingness to get back to work while negotiations continue, while the VCs looked on helplessly. but were obstructed by ASUU officials.

“Also it is worthy to note that some medical doctors who are teachers in the various Medical Schools/College of Medicine had carried on with teaching in the Universities of Maiduguri, Bauchi, and Sokoto and had graduated their new doctors in the midst of the ASUU strike.

“These groups of lecturers had since been applying to have their own academic associations registered as trade unions to organise their members because they do not share in the models, objectives, modus operandi, mission and vision of ASUU. They cite that under Section 40 of the Constitution they have a right to Freedom of Association with people sharing same academic vision and mission like minds.”

Ngige added: “These newly registered Associations are Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and cited irreconcilable differences, they do not believe in recurring strikes as the solution to every welfare agitation. They also accused the ASUU executive of non rendition of account of incomes and expenditure for years.

“The Ministry of Labour and Employment set up a committee to look into the merit of their application. The committee saw merit in the application and recommended approval for the registration of the Association by the Registrar of Trade Unions (RTU) since 2020. But for the advent of COVID-19 pandemic and the recurring ASUU strike, this would have been done.

“Nigeria Association of Medical and Dental Lecturers in Academics (NAMDA). Like their colleagues in CONUA, they had applied for Registration as medical teachers in the university system under various groups. They include those medical doctors doing pre- clinical teaching of basic medical courses and honorary consultants teaching clinical students in tertiary health institutions, teaching hospitals.

“Due to their peculiarities which have impeded their career progression in the universities’ system resulting in frequent and continuous agitations which had impacted an endangered species syndrome to these groups of workers/employees, the ministry’s special committee has also recommended their registration as an academic union as all groups have same objectives, mission and vision.

“It may be noted that Section 3(2) of the Trade Unions Act, CAP. T14, Laws of the Federation of Nigeria (LFN) 2004 gives the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment powers to regroup an existing Trade Union of Workers or Employers.

“The Section under reference states ‘No Combination of workers or employers shall be registered as a Trade Union save with the approval of the Minister on his being satisfied that it is expedient to register the Union either by regrouping existing Trade Union. registering a new Trade Union or otherwise howsoever’.

“In view of the above, I, in the exercise of the power conferred on me as the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, do hereby approve the registration of; Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), and Nigeria Association of Medical & Dental Lecturers in Academics (NAMDA)

“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 nos. 87 & 98 which are respectively on Freedom of Association and Protection of the Right to Organise, and the Right to Organise and Collective Bargaining; as well as the enthronement of the four (4) pillars and principles of the Decent Work Agenda (DWA) considered necessary for social justice and equity in the world of work.

“They are accordingly entitled to all rights and privileges accruing to such academic association/organisation including but not limited to receiving check off dues of their members in accordance with Section 17 of the Trade Unions Act.

“They are also to have members in the Nigerian University Pension Management Company Limited (NUPEMCO) and being on CONUAS Salary Structure/Scheme, they are equally entitled to Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) and all other allowances attached thereto. ASUU despite bickering, experienced protests from a large majority of her members including CONUA and NAMDA members.”

Ngige, who further accused ASUU on non- rendering of Audited accounts since 2017 to date despite repeated requests and warnings in 2020 by the RTU and particularly two letters of request in 2022, noted that a special committee headed by the Permanent Secretary of the ministry was looking into the matter after which the Registrar of Trade Unions would be obligated to take “appropriate actions aimed at preserving the Integrity of our National Labour Administration System.”

“The non-rendering of audited account by ASUU is an infringement on the provisions of the Trade Unions Act as stated in Section 40 on the powers of the RTU to call for accounts of Trade Unions at any time.

“Also, when ASUU finally ‘rushed’ in an account as had been requested, the RTU was unsatisfied as to the manner in which the account in question had been kept and prepared, the sufficiency or otherwise of existing checks against irregularity or fraud, and other caveats provided by section 41 (1) and (2) of the Trade Unions Act.”

Also speaking, the National Coordinator of CONUA, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, who noted that the union had to cross many hurdles since submission of its application in 2018, said the “very strict and dispassionate review of our application brought out the best in the membership of the union.”

“The registration is therefore the validation of the power of the human will. It asserts the value of courage, initiative, focus, tenacity, patience, forbearance, and persistent positive thinking.

“We regard the registration of CONUA as a sacred trust, and pledge to reciprocate by devoting ourselves unceasingly to the advancement of university education in this country.

“We would make the details of our programmes available to the public in due course. For now, we are giving the assurance that we would work to ensure that the nation is not traumatised again by academic union dislocations in the country’s public universities.”

The Star