The leadership of the Congress of University Academics has appealed to the Federal Government to be magnanimous and pay all university lecturers their eight months withheld salaries.
The Federal Government withheld the salary covering eight months that the lecturers stayed away from their duty posts in the year 2022, following an industrial action ordered by the leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities.
Even though the Federal Government had commenced the process of paying members of CONUA the withheld salaries since they noted they did not join the strike, the president of the newly approved Union, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, however, appealed to FG that all lecturers should be paid.
Sunmonu spoke on Saturday during CONUA’s maiden National Executive Council meeting held at the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, where he was ratified as the pioneer national president.
Also, during the event, Dr. Abdulhameed Salawu was ratified as the National Vice President, while Dr. Henri Oripeloye emerged as the National Secretary. Also, Dr. Issa Abdulraheem emerged as the Assistant National Secretary, and Dr. Ernest Nwoke became the National Publicity Secretary of the union.
Maintaining that CONUA did not declare a strike, Sunmonu further said his members wanted to work during the period, but could not do so, due to the absence of students on campuses.
He said, “CONUA has consistently maintained before now, that it didn’t declare any strike and by the provision of section 43 subsection 1B of the trade dispute act, what happened to members of CONUA can be taken to be what happens in that provision of that section.