CONUA Rejects Planned ASUU Strike

The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) has said its members will not join the proposed nationwide strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) if the action begins next Monday.

ASUU had issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government on September 29, warning that it would begin an indefinite strike by October 13 if its long-standing demands are not met. The threats come amid growing tensions over unpaid allowances and poor university funding.

In response, CONUA’s National President, Dr. Niyi Sunmonu of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, stated that the union does not support strike actions as a solution to academic grievances. He said CONUA believes that walkouts only worsen the already fragile state of education in Nigeria.

Sunmonu argued that although ASUU has the right to pursue its issues through legal or industrial means, constant strikes have done more harm than good. He said such disruptions weaken the academic system and hinder efforts to improve national development.

The CONUA leader criticized the Federal Government for what he described as biased treatment of unions in the university system. He noted that discussions and agreements with ASUU alone exclude other recognized unions, including CONUA, from decisions that affect all lecturers.

Sunmonu explained that the 2009 Agreement, which the government and ASUU are currently renegotiating, cannot apply to CONUA members since they were never part of the talks. He maintained that CONUA would not join a strike built on an agreement it had no role in shaping.

He also warned that the union is prepared to challenge the Federal Government through legal means if it proceeds with resolutions reached with ASUU without including other unions. According to him, neglecting other academic unions creates division and weakens the university system.

Sunmonu stressed that Nigeria’s educational future depends on stability and collaboration, not recurring strikes. He urged the government to engage all unions fairly in order to rebuild trust and strengthen higher education across the country.