ASUU strike: FG asks for CONUA members’ information to pay withheld wages

The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) members’ accounts have been requested by the Federal Government through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for the payment of salaries that have been withheld.

In December 2022, the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ competitor CONUA threatened legal action against the Federal Government over the delayed salaries of its members. CONUA claimed that its members were not involved in the eight-month ASUU strike, which lasted from February to October 2022.

“The government was aware that the union had not issued a call for a strike and that none of its members had participated in the eight-month strike that caused the nationwide closure of the university system.”

We made it clear in the letter that because CONUA was a distinct and independent union inside the university system, none of our members had requested a strike. The next day, on August 19, 2022, there was a news conference in Abuja where it was made clear that CONUA had nothing to do with the strike that was going on and that the “No Work, No Pay” policy should not be used on union members.

READ ALSO: “How Gbajabiamila left ASUU after tricking professors into calling a strike”

The letter, dated January 13, 2023, was signed by Charles Wali, director of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, on behalf of the AGF, and was written to Dr. Niyi Sunmonu, president of CONUA.

“I am directed to acknowledge receipt of your letter on the aforementioned subject matter dated November 2, 2022 with respect to payment of your withheld backlog of salary and to request that you submit a soft copy of CONUA membership across universities to allow payment as asked,” the letter stated.

“In the meanwhile, you might want to provide the following information to enable easy deduction and payment of check-off dues: Evidence of registration, the union’s official account information, a membership list signed by each member, the amount to be withheld from each member (check-off dues), the percentage to be withheld from each member, and the method of remittance between the union’s headquarters and local chapters

Wali said that, for ease of identification, each member’s information, which must always be in both hard copy and electronic format, should also include their unique IPPIS numbers.

Remember that the FG paid the professors on a pro-rata basis after the eight-month ASUU strike was called off because Minister of Labour and Employment Dr. Chris Ngige said that the government could not reimburse them for work that had not been completed.

Since then, ASUU members have shown up at different institutions to protest the “no-work, no-pay” policy, even though the union said it would consider “suitable means” to reach its goals.

(PUNCH)