OAU,AAU,3 Others Dump ASUU ,Float New Union

Lecturers from five universities have dumped  the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to form what they called Congress of University Academy (CONUA)

 

It was also learnt that the Minister of Labour  and Employment , Dr. Chris Ngige has confirmed the new union application for it to be registered.

 

The lecturers disclosed this  at the end of its stakeholders’ forum at Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), over the weekend.

 

The new union include OAU, Ambrose Alli University (AAU), Ekpoma; Federal University, Oye Ekiti (FUOYE); Federal University, Lokoja (FUL) and Kwara State University (KWASU), Molete.

 

Addressing journalist after the meeting , National Coordinator, Niyi Sumonu,,  said the lecturers formed the new union to restore stability to Nigerian universities.

 

He said the new union is not an anti government but can advice and criticise the government when the  need arises.

 

“For standard of education to be very high, we need a stable academic calendar. We need to be able to predict the academic session, have innovations that are difficult without continuity, and be attuned to modern realities,” he said.

 

“Our union would approach the matter of engagement with all stakeholders in an engaging manner to have a common ground for moving forward.

 

“Our union is not anti-government, if government and by extension, administrators of universities are doing well, we will let the world know and we will quickly knock them, provide alternative constructive criticism and take them to task where they are not doing well.

 

”We will not wait for them to make mistakes before we intervene. We have vision and will provide ahead what can be done to have better results. If that is done we are sure we will have a better way to move forward.

 

“Members believe we should have alternative ways of solving problems. Members have been contributing very well to the finance of the union.

 

” When we fulfill and do all that we need to do, financial constraints will be forgotten.

 

“We have been at this for over three years in Ife. We have been waxing stronger and members from other universities have been experiencing what we experience here; hence the decision to come together to form a national union.”