The Academic Staff Union of Universities, has its members separating itself from the nationwide strike in Nigerian universities, one of the members is the Congress of Nigerian University Academics.
This was explained in a signed statement by, Niyi Sunmonu, the National coordinator and the, Ernest Nwoke, the National Publicity Secretary in Abuja.
The Congress of Nigerian University Academics announced its stand as a union of academics in Nigerian universities, nationwide.
“The Congress of University Academics would also like to seize this great opportunity to announce its freedom as a union of academic staff in all Nigeria’s public universities nationwide. Being a strong and uncompromised union, CONUA has never been included itself of the decision to embark on the industrial action which has jeopardized the academic activities in our universities for about 6months now.”
CONUA said it believed that strikes had a crippling effect on the Nigerian university system.
It added that the negative effects of the strikes had always been greater than their positive outcomes.
The union CONUA also stated, “Our strongly-held view is that the ongoing strikes has caused great chaos on the university system nationwide, and the tips that are earned after every nationwide strike, over the decades, have resulted to quite a number of victories when compared against the systematic destruction of the entire local and international image of the university education in Nigeria. Our escape route to strikes in resolving industrial chaos, therefore, include constructive engagement and constant negotiation with all the unions stakeholders in the country.”
“As a union CONUA, the deployment should be addressed only when there is no other option to think of, and they should not be encouraged by a negative belief which can cause loss of lives and properties.”
The union also noted that all its members should continue with all their academic activities at the OAU-Obafemi Awolowo University, in Ile-Ife, and also Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma after the strike announced by ASUU.
