By Shina Abubakar
OSOGBO — THE Congress of University Academics, CONUA, yesterday, took a swipe at the Federal Government for excluding the union from the 2009 agreement renegotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
The union, while expressing anger at a recent statement addressed to ASUU, stating that the Committee chaired by Alhaji Yayale Ahmed has submitted its report on the renegotiation of the 2009 Agreement, condemned its exclusion after receiving a letter from the federal government directing that it should be included in the renegotiation process.
CONUA in a statement by its President and National Secretary, Dr. ‘Niyi Sunminu and Dr. Henry Oripeloye wondered why the Union was not invited till the letter in circulation was released.
The statement reads: “This development is both surprising and disappointing, particularly because CONUA had earlier received a formal letter of invitation from the Minister of Education, dated December 20, 2024, directing the Committee to engage with the Union. However, up till the time of this release, CONUA has not been invited to make any submission or contribution to the renegotiation process. The union wonders how a committee could jettison the mandate of a Minister who put the committee in place in this important national assignment.
“It is important to underscore that the 2009 Agreement was entered into on behalf of all academic staff in Nigerian universities at that time. With the current existence of three recognized academic unions, all stakeholders must 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.
“We call on the Minister of Education, Dr Olatunji Alausa, to urgently look into this matter and correct this oversight.”
The continued exclusion of CONUA could erode the fragile stability currently enjoyed by the academic system and trigger avoidable discontent among staff. 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.
“The Federal Government must take urgent steps to avoid a relapse into instability by ensuring that all duly registered academic unions are recognized and engaged on equal footing, starting from this ongoing policy processes that concern their welfare and working conditions, and going into the future.
“CONUA remains committed to constructive engagement, academic excellence, and sustainable reform in the Nigerian university system.”
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