…As FUOYE lecturers threaten to sue zonal ASUU over allegations
From Kehinde Adewole
A break away faction of the Academic Staff of Universities (ASUU) , identified as Congress of Universities Academic(CONUA), at the weekend, urged Vice-Chancellor s of various public universities in the country to immediately recall students back to campus for academic activities, saying CONUA members across the nation are not on strike.
This was just as CONUA in FUOYE has threatened to drag the Akure Zonal ASUU, being coordinated by Prof. Olufisayo Olu, to court over allegation credited to Prof. Olu that CONUA members in FUOYE has secret pact with the management of the institution.
Briefing journalists at the auditorium of the Law Facukty of the Federal University Oye Ekiti (FUOYE), the National Secretary of CONUA, Dr Henry Oripeloye who led members from various universities, said that apart from members of the body, there are who doesn’t belong to any Union who are willing to teach.
Oripeloye said: “We reject in strong terms, claims that we are members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), we are independent union on university campuses.
” We commend the National University Commission (NUC), for directing the opening of Universities nationwide.
“We want our universities to be reopened so that they will not be left behind in the scheme of things.”
Oripeloye who lectures at the Obafemi Awolowo University, (OAU) lle-lfe, Osun State said CONUA believe in constructive and objective engagement with government rather than strike. He added that they had enrolled into the IPPIS and their concerns were being addressed by the Federal government. Stating that one of CONUA’main dreams is that strike action as a weapon to force government’s attention should become history, he said : “We don’t know anything about UTAS, we believe in fruitful interaction and possibly with government and also lobbying to achieve our requests from government.”
Orilpeloye assured that should VCs recall their students now, academic activities will resume without any rancour in public varsities as many lecturers are ready to resume and have complied with government’s directive on IPPIS.
The OAU don said that CONUA has no conflict with ASUU, adding that the two unions only differ in terms of philosophy and ideology which is reflecting in their approach to getting government to accede to their requests.
In another development, CONUA FUOYE branch has given the Akure Zonal ASUU, 14 days ultimatum to either retract or proof the allegation that it has secret pact within the management of the institution
Briefing newsmen at the weekend at Oye Ekiti, the Convener of CONUA, Ayodeji Ige said that the Union legal counsel had been instructed to write the Zonal ASUU leadership to substantiate its claims or be ready to face legal action.
“You will recall a publication that went viral on social media via a national daily on October 20, 2020 where the coordinator of ASUU Akure Zone told the world that CONUA has a secret pact with FUOYE management.
“This damaging statement constitute a campaign of calumny against a budding union such as CONUA. We therefore strongly frown at it.”
Ige said that Akure Zonal ASUU was making such damaging remarks because, “we have adopted approach that is different from the militant, confrontational and hostile like that of ASUU.”
