The academic staff union of universities, ASUU has commenced Indefinite strike in Obafemi awolowo university, Ile-Ife, Osun state.
ASUU OAU commences Indefinite strike on Monday over failure of the management to pay their earned academic allowance, DAILY GIST can report.
ASUU OAU announced this in a statement signed by its chairman, Dr Adeola Egbedokun and made available to DAILY GIST after it’s congress on Monday.
The statement reads;
RESOLUTIONS OF THE EMERGENCY CONGRESS HELD ON MONDAY. 31″ JANUARY, 2022 AT 10.00 AM.
“Congress was called to order at about 10 16 am Items on the agenda were adopted as follows
(i) Update on EAA Disbursement
Update on EAA Disbursement Chairman briefed congress on the series of engagement the executive has had with some senior members of the University community He also reported his phone conversation with the Vice Chancellor Congress noted that there was no serious commitment on the part of the University to effect payment of EAA to deserving members. Congress also noted that all political and diplomatic means to resolve the imbroglio has failed.
Consequently, congress resolved that:
(ii) Total, Comprehensive and Indefinite Strike should commence immediately
(iii). The strike must not be called off without a congress resolution to the effect in. Payment of EAA must be based on ASUU computation. Anything short of this would be unacceptable
(iv) The Strike Coordinating Committee be set up to monitor the strike.
Based on the above and on the strength of the permission granted by ASUU National President, the Chairman, on behalf of the congress declared the commencement of ASUU OAU’s strike at exactly 11.53 am.”
The management in an exclusive chat with DAILY GIST had said it’s not holding on to the earned academic allowance of the lecturers in any way
According to OAU spokesperson, Mr Abiodun Olarewaju, 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.
The strike however will not affect CONUA.
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.
More details to follow..