The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has appointed its national president and other members of its National Executive Council (NEC).
CONUA, a breakaway faction of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), was formally registered by the Nigerian government in October 2022 and was presented with a certificate of registration in January 2023.
The union approved the nomination of ‘Niyi Sunmonu as its National President and Abdulhameed Salawu as the National Vice President.
Mr Sunmonu was the acting chairman of ASUU, OAU chapter, who became the founding national coordinator of CONUA when it was founded as a fallout of the crisis that rocked ASUU on the campus.
Members of CONUA’s NEC were appointed in the presence of the representative of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, during its maiden NEC meeting at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife.
Mr Ngige was represented by Clement Fatoki.
This was contained in a communique signed by Mr Sunmonu and released after the meeting that was held between Friday, the 20th and Sunday, the 22nd of January.
“Members were accredited from 15 Federal and State Universities while 11 Universities sent in apologies, due to logistics,” part of the communique reads.
CONUA urges the government to ensure reasonable utilisation of university autonomy, which it said: “must, as a matter of urgency, contain seemingly unseen corruption and fix accreditation fraud in the universities.”
“Education is central to the development of any nation, Nigeria inclusive. CONUA is of the strong opinion that education can be made “cheap” by ensuring an uninterrupted academic calendar in the Nigerian Ivory towers,” the union said.
The communique listed other members of CONUA’s NEC to include Henri Oripeloye as the National Secretary, Issa Abdulraheem, as the Assistant National Secretary, Ernest Nwoke as the National Publicity Secretary and Aminu Isyaku as the National Liaison Officer.
Others include Monica Orisadare as the National Treasurer, Mukhtar Ibrahim as the National Financial Officer, Bassey Abasiene as the National Welfare Officer Chinedum Nwadighoha as the National Investment Officer and Ayodeji Ige as the union’s Legal Adviser.
