The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has made an appeal to the Federal Government of Nigeria to pay all university lecturers their eight months of withheld salaries. The Federal Government had withheld the salary covering eight months that the lecturers stayed away from their duty posts in the year 2022, following an industrial action ordered by the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, the newly-approved president of CONUA, spoke on Saturday during CONUA’s maiden National Executive Council meeting held at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he was ratified as the pioneer national president. During the meeting, Dr. Abdulhameed Salawu was ratified as the National Vice President, while Dr. Henri Oripeloye emerged as the National Secretary. Dr. Issa Abdulraheem emerged as the Assistant National Secretary, and Dr. Ernest Nwoke became the National Publicity Secretary of the union.
Dr. Sunmonu emphasized that CONUA did not declare a strike and that his members wanted to work during the period, but could not do so due to the absence of students on campuses. He said, “CONUA has consistently maintained before now, that it didn’t declare any strike and by the provision of section 43 subsection 1B of the trade dispute act, what happened to members of CONUA can be taken to be what happens in that provision of that section.”
The government has been implementing a ‘no work no pay’ policy, which Dr. Sunmonu believes would be unjust to be applied to CONUA members, as they did not declare a strike. Dr. Sunmonu urged the Federal Government to be magnanimous and pay all lecturers, stating that the principle of CONUA not declaring a strike should be considered.
In the communique issued at the end of the meeting, CONUA opined that education could be made cheap by ensuring an uninterrupted academic calendar. It also urged the government to “ensure reasonable utilisation of university autonomy” and urgently stop “seemingly unseen corruption and fix accreditation fraud in the universities.”
The issue of unpaid salaries for lecturers in Nigeria has been a long-standing problem, with multiple strikes and protests over the years. The government’s decision to withhold the salaries of lecturers has been met with much criticism, as it is seen as a punishment for those who did not participate in the strike. The appeal by CONUA for all lecturers to be paid highlights the importance of ensuring fair treatment for all employees, regardless of union affiliation.
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