The Nigerian university lecturers under the Congress of University Academics, CONUA, (the breakaway union) have threatened to drag the federal government to court over withheld salaries after the eight months strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, from which CONUA was formed while the strike action was ongoing.
CONUA had in a statement on Tuesday, 06 December 2022, expressed its disappointment with the Nigerian federal government, particularly the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige over the non-payment of its members’ withheld salaries.
CONUA’s statement which was signed by its National President, Dr .Niyi Sunmonu; Secretary, Dr. Henry Oripeloye and Publicity Secretary, Dr. Ernest Nwoke, stated that the government had refused to pay its members their salaries, even knowing that the union did not call for strike action and its members were also not involved in the industrial action that spanned eight months.
According to the union, it was very bad for the federal government to lump CONUA with the ASUU members who went on an eight-monthly strike between February and October 2022.
The new union then further disclosed that it will be suing the Nigerian government for withholding its members’ salaries.
