ASUU strike: Issuance of licence to parallel unions illegal – Lawyers

By Adeleye Kunle

With the 8-month industrial action embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, over, the issues that trailed the strike linger on.

Top on the list is the last minute attempt by the Federal Government to break the ranks of the Academic body.

Recall that the Federal government on October 4, 2022, registered two parallel unions in the university system.

The unions are the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics, NAMDA, and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics, CONUA.

The Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, while presenting certificates of registration to both unions last week, stated that the two unions will function alongside ASUU.

The development is believed to be a way to weaken ASUU which has been on strike since February this year following its protest against unpaid allowances and demand for better funding of the public universities.

The Minister’s move is also believed to be connected to Mr Ngige’s recent brickbats with the ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke at a meeting conveyed by Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives.

Ngige had accused Mr Osodeke of deliberately frustrating the government’s efforts at resolving the crisis and mobilizing Nigerians against the government, an allegation the union leader denied