Yesterday, the Federal Government said that, in response to the registration of two new unions, it would order the vice chancellors of federal universities to reopen their institutions.
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics are the two unions in question. CONUA is a faction that broke away from ASUU (NAMDA).
While NAMDA is directed by Nosa Irhue, CONUA is led by Niyi Sunmonu, a professor at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife.
Students who have been at home since February 14, when ASUU started its ongoing strike, can finally return to the classrooms, according to Chris Ngige, minister of labor and employment, who submitted letters of authorisation to the CONUA and NAMDA leaderships in Abuja.
On the start date of the resumption, he remained silent, though.
ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke responded, “It is not worth my comment,” when The Nation inquired about CONUA’s registration.
According to Ngige, who defended the registration, CONUA and NAMDA may now coexist alongside ASUU in the university system.
His words: “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 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 or registering a new trade union or otherwise, however….’
“In view of the above, I Senator, Chris Ngige, in the exercise of the power conferred on me as the Minister of Labour and Employment, do hereby approve the registration of Congress of Nigeria University Academics (CONUA), and Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) as trade unions.
“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 CONUASS 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.”
The minister claimed that the government was investigating the alleged failure of ASUU to provide its audited accounts through the Registrar of Trade Unions.
Ngige stated that a special ministry committee led by the Permanent Secretary has been formed to investigate into the situation before necessary action is taken against ASUU in order to “preserve the Integrity of our National Labour Administration System.”
He said: “ The non- rendering of an 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.”
As of 2018, the union submitted an application to be recognized as a trade union, according to CONUA’s national coordinator Sunmonu.
Sunmonu gave the assurance that CONUA would make efforts to prevent another national trauma brought on by academic union disruptions in the nation’s public universities.
In the university and other tertiary institutions, medical and dental academicians now have a legal voice in determining the training requirements, managing the training system, and ensuring the welfare of her members, according to NAMD President Airhue.
He said: “Before today, the peculiarity of the medical and dental training was increasingly emasculated triggered by bodies that capitalised on the lack of a voice for medical and dental practitioners in academics, particularly in the university system.
“With this registration, a platform has been created for medical trainers/teachers to start the process of gradual reversal to the known normal medical training environment that was punctured in the early 2000s.”
