With the registration of two new university academic unions, the Congress of Nigerian University Academics and National Association of Medical and Dental Academics, Uchechukwu Nnaike examines the rationale behind the registration and the new unions’ prospects of restoring quality and stability to the country’s university system
For the first time since the establishment of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in 1978, the federal government last week formally registered two new academic unions, the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA).
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, said the move would help liberalize the academic sub-sector and allow for freedom for university workers.
The move has continued to generate criticisms among stakeholders, who described the action as illegal. They accused the government of creating more problems in the system instead of seeking ways of resolving the issues at stake.
Aside from the reason it gave for registering the new unions, many believe that the government has ulterior motives, like distracting ASUU from its struggles and probably reopening the universities without fulfilling the union’s demands.
CONUA’s stance against the strike as a means of pressing for demands could work against ASUU. This philosophy might endear the union to parents, students, and other citizens tired of the incessant strikes and ASUU could lose public empathy, popularity and more members across the country.
To many, the registration of the splinter union is seen as the government’s delay tactics. Since there is no agreement with the new union, the universities would reopen while the union and government meet to fashion out a new agreement or modify existing ones.
Reasons for CONUA’s formation and member universities
According to the National Coordinator, Dr Niyi Sunmonu, CONUA was formed to give a new approach to handling issues affecting universities across the country. He said the first mandate of the new union would be to ensure a stable academic calendar to improve the quality of education in tertiary institutions.
“For standard of education to be high, we need a stable academic calendar. We need to be able to predict academic session. We need to have innovation which is difficult without continuity,” said Sunmonu. “We also need to be in tune with modern realities. Our union will approach the matter of engagement with all stakeholders in an engaging manner to have a common ground for moving forward.”
Currently, some of the branches of the union are Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike; University of Benin; Federal University, Lokoja; Federal University, Oye-Ekiti; Kwara State University, Malete; Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma; Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria; University of Nigeria, Nsukka; University of Jos; and Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Government receives knocks
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Femi Falana was among those that condemned the registration of CONUA, which he said was illegal.
According to him, the labour laws in Nigeria do not permit the registration of more than one union in a sector. He also described it as a desperate act by the government to end the ASUU strike.
The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) also rejected the registration of the unions, saying that the government violated labour law by registering the unions because another union already exists in the sector.
The NLC, therefore, demanded that the minister withdraw the registration of CONUA and NAMDA.
“Clearly, from the provisions of Section 3(2) and Sections 5(2), 5(3) and 5(4) (of the Trade Union Act), there is no basis for the purported registration of the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and the Nigeria Association of Medical and Dental Lecturers in Academics (NAMDA) as both entities failed woefully to satisfy the precedent conditions provided by the Trade Union Act for the registration of trade unions,” the NLC stated.
ASUU described the registration of two new unions as inconsequential and that it does not pose any threat to its existence.
Similarities and differences between ASUU and CONUA
While both unions demand improved funding of universities, an upward review of lecturers’ salaries, among other issues, differ in their method of pressing for their demands.
The current ASUU strike has been on since February 14. The union has embarked on strike under most administrations in the country. The longest-running strike stands at 270 days, which began in 2020. Since 1999, there have been 16 ASUU strikes.
While ASUU subscribes to strike as a last resort, CONUA ruled out the use of industrial action to press for demands. It emphasised constant engagement and dialogue with relevant stakeholders.
The union insisted that strike has been overused to the extent that the damage it has done to the system is more than good.
Sunmonu stated that “discussions remain the most potent weapon when you have industrial issues but that discussion needs to take place under what conditions? We want to create an atmosphere that will be a win-win for lecturers, students, parents, the government, and all stakeholders.”
In a telephone conversation with THISDAY on the new union’s plans to commence academic activities in the universities where it is present, Sunmonu said no union has the power to ask students to leave the school or return to school. It is the duty of the federal government through the universities’ administrators and the senate.
“Since we have not been on strike, we never declared any strike. If students are asked to come back, we naturally want to continue doing our job,” he noted.
He added that both unions were lumped together under the ‘no work, no pay policy’ of the government, adding, “we are hoping that we will interrogate that in days to come and we hope that we will get respite in that regards.”
Asked if CONUA would enter into a new agreement with the government or continue with the existing one, the coordinator said: “We have to give the other union kudos that they have been talking with the federal government. We are not privy to the details of that.”
He further stated, “I think to be fair to us, if there will be any discussion on previous agreement, it will be unfair to have issues in previous agreement with us. When we come about our programmes and our own ways on how the universities should run, we will put that before the government.”
Sunmonu further explained that the government would have to bring “all academic unions in universities to the table to look at a more sustainable way of making progress in the universities.
“Nigerians are hoping that the splinter union will be a blessing to the university system and that CONUA stays true to its objectives of restoring quality and stability to the system,” he stressed.
