Looming crisis over plan to pay CONUA members' withheld salaries

• Published date: 19 January 2023
• Publication title: Nigeria - The Nation

Another crisis is brewing in public universities as the Federal Government prepares to pay the withheld salaries and check off dues of Congress of University Academics (CONUA) members while leaving out the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members. Assistant Editor Bola Olajuwon, Damola Kola-Dare and CHINAZA VICTORIA report.

For Emeka Chris, an undergraduate at the University of Lagos, was not optimistic about resumption at the weekend after the New Year break. He told his parents that the Federal Government's move to pay members of the Congress of University Academics (CONUA) their withheld salaries and check off dues and leaving out the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) members might necessitate another rounds of strike.

According to him, he would rather go back to school with little belongings than labouring to come home soon in case ASUU declared another strike.

Chris' position is not out of place. Most university undergraduates in public institutions would feel the same. Public university undergraduates will not forget last year in a hurry. It was the year they spent almost nine months at home because of strikes by the four university-based unions. It was a year many missed the opportunity to participate in the national youth service.

The year was dominated by the strike called by four university-based unions - ASUU; the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU); the Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Education Institutions (NASU) and the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT). ASUU was the first to call out its members on strike over the inability of the government to attend to their demands.

ASUU withdrew its services last February 14, and was followed by NAAT after many weeks and then SSANU and NASU.

While SSANU and NASU called off their strike last August, after they reached an agreement with the Federal Government, ASUU remained adamant until the intervention of the National Industrial Court (NIC), which ordered the striking lecturers to go back to their duty posts in October.

Crisis looms in universities

A repeat of last year's crisis is in the oven as the Federal Government, through the Office of Accountant-General of the Federation, at the weekend indicated readiness to pay the backlog of salaries of CONUA members from March to September and part of October, last year. The AGF, in a circular dated January 13, 2023, requested CONUA President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, to provide soft copy details of membership of CONUA in universities to enable the office to effect payment of the...