Just In: FG Meets CONUA Leadership

The Federal government and the leadership of Congress of University Academics (CONUA) are reportedly currently in a closed-door meeting over the withheld eight months’ salaries of the academic workers.

According to Daily Trust, the agenda of the meeting was not disclosed but it was gathered that the government and the union were deliberating on the payment of the eight months’ salaries withheld sequel to the industrial action embarked upon by the members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) between February 14 and October 18, 2022.

Recall that the Government directed CONUA to submit their details to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for the payment of the withheld salaries.

The directive was made known in a letter dated January 13, 2023, and signed by the Director of Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System Department, Charles Wali. The letter was addressed to the CONUA President, Obafemi Awolowo University chapter.

In November 2022, CONUA wrote to the Nigerian government to demand the payment of its members’ withheld salaries as the government withheld the salaries of university lecturers following the eight months’ strike embarked upon by the members of ASUU.

Following the government’s insistence on implementing the “No work, no pay” policy against the lecturers after the strike, CONUA which was inaugurated amid the strike that lasted for eight months, claimed that its members did not participate in the industrial action.

The ongoing meeting in Abuja is reportedly being presided over by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.