By Muhammed Abubakar, Reporting
HELL-BENT in its Machiavellian permutations, the Federal Government of Nigeria will, at 2:00p.m today Tuesday, present the certificate of registration to the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) in Abuja.
Stonix News reports that CONUA, which means Congress of Nigerian University Academics, is a breakaway faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Recall ASUU has been on industrial action since February 14 to compel the FG to honour the agreements it reached with the union in 2020.
Tuesday’s move by the FG is seen as attempt to clip the wings of the ASUU and break the ongoing strike that has kept students at home for about eight months.
Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, is billed to do the presentation of the certificate to the breakaway faction.
The development was contained in an invitation sent to reporters on Tuesday by the Deputy Director of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment.
The break-away faction its presence in a few federal universities and is led by its National Coordinator, ‘Niyi Sunmonu, a lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University (OAU), Ile-Ife, Osun State.
The message by the Ministry of Labour reads: “The Honorable Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige cordially invites you to the recognition and presentation of Certificate of Registration to the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA).
“The Programme is scheduled to hold as follows:
“Date: Tuesday, 4th October 2022
“Venue: Hon. Minister Conference Room, Federal Secretariat, Phase 1, Abuja.
“Time: 2:00pm
“Your media organisation is invited to cover the event and strictly by invitation.”
ASUU, in spite of a ruling by the National Industrial Court on Sept 21, 2022 ordering it to return to work, the university lecturers have remained adamant and rather, through its lawyers, filed an appeal against the court ruling.
What's your reaction?
