ASUU suing Abuja for registering more than one union in a trade sector
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Registering more than one union in one trade sector breaches the law, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) insists, and has announced plans to sue the federal government to the National Industrial Court (NIC).
ASUU counsel Femi Falana SAN, made the announcement on Channels Television where he faulted Labour Minister Chris Ngige forregistering the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and Nigerian Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) to exist as academic unions alongside ASUU.
“ASUU is going to court. It is going to be the NIC,” Falana said on Channels on Thursday. “He is our lawyer, we follow his legal advice,” ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke confirmed to The PUNCH.
That came after Falana first argued on Arise TV on Wednesday that the registration is illegal and a desperate measure by Abuja to break the ASUU strike.
Ngige on Tuesday presented the certificates of registration to the two new academic unions and ordered them to return to the classroom – without meeting the demands of ASUU which also affect lecturers in the new unions.
He said both CONUA and NAMDA have declared their rejection of the modus operandi of ASUU.
But Attahiru Jega, a Professor and former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, criticised Ngige, accusing him of waging a personal war against lecturers to destroy university education in Nigeria.
Jega bared his mind on Arise TV on Wednesday,saying while others are trying to resolve the impasse between the government and ASUU Ngige has turned the matter personal to flex his muscles.
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Registration of rival unions breaks the law
Falana reiterated on Arise TV on Wednesday that ASUU is in the forefront of sanitising tertiary education requesting for resources to equip universities.
“Government has tried various measures but the latest one is perhaps going to embarrass the government because it is an illegal exercise and won’t work. ASUU is today one of the most organised and united trade unions in Africa,” he said.
“Under the current Labour Law regime in Nigeria, you cannot have two unions or three unions in the same sector,” Falana explained, according to Vanguard
“In other words, within the academia in Nigeria, there can only be one registered trade union that is the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) registered pursuant to the Trade Union Act as amended.”
“We are going to have a mushrooming of trade unions, which threatens industrial peace in the country. We cannot have two unions in the university nor can we have two unions in other [sectors] in the country. Politically it won’t work.”
He advised the government to return to the negotiating table and seek and follow proper advice so as not expose Nigeria to global ridicule.