The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has condemned in strong terms, its exclusion from the 2009 agreement re-negotiation process with the Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) by the Federal Government.
This is contained in a statement by CONUA’S National President, Niyi Sunmonu, issued to newsmen on Monday in Lagos.
According to him, the development is both surprising and disappointing, particularly because CONUA has earlier received a formal letter of invitation from the Minister of Education, dated Dec. 20, 2024, directing the committee to engage with the union.
He noted however that, up till as at the time of this news release, CONUA had not been invited to make any submission or contribution to the renegotiation process.
“The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) expresses deep concern and surprise at the recent circulation of a letter, dated April 4, addressed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) indicating that the committee, chaired by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed, has submitted its report on the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement.
“The union wonders how it was possible for a committee to jettison the mandate of a minister, who put the committee in place, in this important national assignment,” he said.
The CONUA boss noted that It was important to underscore the fact that the 2009 agreement was entered into, on behalf of all academic staff in the country’s universities as at that time.
According to him, with the current existence of three recognised academic unions, it is imperative that all stakeholders be carried along, in matters relating to the welfare and conditions of service of their members.
“The exclusion of CONUA, a registered and legitimate union, from such a crucial process undermines principles of fairness, inclusiveness and democratic engagement, as enshrined in the ILO convention and ratified by the Federal Government of Nigeria, within the university system.
“The renegotiation of the 2009 agreement is not just about revisiting past commitments, but about shaping the future of academic labour relations, service conditions and institutional stability in Nigeria’s higher education sector.
“It is therefore inappropriate and untenable for one union to represent the interests of others in a plural union environment, as we currently operate in Nigeria.
“Consequently, we call on the Honourable Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, to urgently look into this matter and correct this oversight,” he said.
Sunmonu stated that the continued exclusion of CONUA could erode the fragile stability currently enjoyed by the academic system and trigger avoidable discontent among staff.
According to him, part of the potential backlash includes the disruption of the relatively smooth academic calendar that the Nigerian public university system has enjoyed over the past two years, a feat that has been made possible, in part, by CONUA’s principled stance on non-disruptive unionism.
He emphasised the need for the Federal Government to take urgent steps in tackling the situation, to avoid a relapse into instability, by ensuring that all duly registered academic unions were recognised and engaged on equal footing, starting from the ongoing policy processes that concerned their welfare, working conditions and going into the future.
“CONUA remains committed to constructive engagement, academic excellence and sustainable reform in the Nigerian university system,” he said.
Recall that the Federal Government had on Oct 15, 2024, inaugurated a seven-man Re-negotiation Committee on the 2009 Agreements with university-based unions, including the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to resolve all the pending issues.
The then Minister of Education, Prof. Tahir Mamman, while inaugurating the committee, had said it was tasked with producing a realistic and workable agreements that would holistically tackle the challenges confronting the country’s university system and reposition it to effectively play its very important role, in national development.
