The management of obafemi awolowo university Ile-Ife has reacted to a threat by the academic staff union of universities, ASUU to embark on Indefinite strike.
ASUU-OAU on Tuesday had issued a fresh threat to commence Indefinite strike over failure of the management to pay their earned academic allowance, DAILY GIST had reported
The lecturers in the institution noted that plans have been concluded to begin an indefinite strike since the ultimatum given to the University management to pay the allowance to deserving ASUU members has already expired
However, replying to ASUU’s threat on Wednesday, the management told DAILY GIST that it’s not holding on to the earned academic allowance of the lecturers in any way
The management of OAU through its Spokeperson, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju disclosed this in an exclusive chat with DAILY GIST on Wednesday
According to him, the university is ready to give every eligible member their entitlement.
On why the management has not paid earned academic allowance to ASUU lecturers, Mr Abiodun noted that the University management has paid the non teaching unions but because there is a disagreement between the members of the academic staff which the University Management wants them to resolve and come up with a common position.
He said: “And when that is done, the University management will release the money and give every eligible academic staff their due.
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Congress of Universities Academic (CONUA) are the two academic unions that operate as parallel bodies with almost similar modus operandi, even though the latter is a breakaway faction of the former.
How CONUA came into existence?
In February 2018, some aggrieved lecturers of ASUU-OAU complained of marginalisation and of being unfairly treatment, a development that resulted in a splinter group that birthed CONUA the following month.
At its inauguration, the National Coordinator of CONUA, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, said the sole purpose of CONUA was to redirect unionism, restore peace and stability in universities in Nigeria and come up with new approaches of engagement in addressing members’ welfare.
CONUA which started in OAU over three years ago has tentacles in Ambrose Alli University, Ekpoma; Federal University, Oye Ekiti; Federal University, Lokoja; and Kwara State University, Malete.
