BY DAYO ADESULU
Five universities have formed another universities union body to replace the forty-year-old Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The new union is Congress of University Academic (CONUA).
The five universities under CONUA comprises Federal University, Lokoja, Kwara State University, Malete and Ambrose Ali University Ekpoma Edo State. Others are Federal University Oye-Ekiti and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Five Varsities join new ASUU
Representatives of the aforementioned five universities attended the meeting held at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife at the weekend.
Speaking to journalists after its first stakeholders’ meeting, CONUA, National Coordinator, Dr Niyi Sumonu said: ”Our union is not anti-government.”
Sumonu said: “For standard of education to be very high, we need a stable academic calendar. Stakeholders need to be able to predict academic session.
CONUA needs to have innovations which are difficult without continuity. We also need to be attuned with modern realities.
Our union would approach the matter of engagement with all stakeholders in an engaging manner. With a view to arriving at common ground and move forward.”
Our Union is not Anti-Government
Dr Sumonu said: “Our union is not anti-government. If the government and by extension, administrators of Universities are doing well, we will let the world know.
And will quickly knock them, provide alternatives through constructive criticism and take them to task where they are not doing well.
” CONUAl will not wait for them to make mistakes before we intervene. We have a vision and will provide ahead of time what can be done to have better results. If that is done we are sure we will have better ways 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 fulfil and do all that we need to do, financial constraints will be forgotten.
We’ve Been in this Struggle for over Three years
“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 experienced here. That’s why we come together to form a national Union.
“The issues we are having cut across all Universities and resonates well everywhere. The five institutions that have the gut to bell the cat came together to form the union. And this is only the first stage.
By the time we are done with the procedures, it would be like an inferno. You may not be able to curtail in terms of spread”.
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“Our strength lies in our focus, which includes, the welfare of our members. Secondly, the interest of the system.
And most importantly is the third stakeholders that no one is defending their interest. We would look out for them because we are only lecturers because of them.”
Other Universities Already on Board to Join CONUA
He said other schools are already on board to join the union. Asked if the union is out to rival ASUU, the National Publicity Secretary, Dr Nwoke Ernest said no.
He said the union is out to redefine academic unionism in Nigeria, Ernest said the union is not ready to join issues with any union.
”We want to be able to proffer solutions to issues even before it pops up. There is no point sending our children to countries which don’t have the required intellect as Nigeria.
Because you can predict when your child gets to the university and graduate.
We are in essence coming together to start something new which is an interaction with the stakeholders in the educational system. And it is not confrontational but a synergy of all stakeholders.
”We need to think of students welfare and the educational system in Nigeria. And the development of the country itself because many countries developed because of the achievement of its ivory towers.
Without a stable academic system, it is impossible to achieve such feat”, he added.
Not Threatened by Another Union, says ASUU
Reacting to the development, the OAU ASUU Chairman, Dr Adeola Egbedokun said he is not ready to talk about any union.
He said he was not aware of its existence. Egbedokun said ASUU was not in any way threatened by another union. ”ASUU has been existing for over four decades.
“ASUU is solid, can fight for itself and always up to the task. I don’t want to talk about any union because I am not aware of its existence”. “The last time ASUU called for a strike, it had 100 per cent compliance here in Ife.
”So, if any union is coming to existence, good luck to them. But ASUU has the tenacity to agitate for whatever it wants. ASUU is not threatened by any union”, Egbedokun added.
