CONUA is antidote to incessant strikes in public universities, says UNIMAID chair
• ’Warns against ‘rewarding terrorism’ The Congress of University Academics (CONUA), University of Maiduguri Branch, has described its approach to labour relations as a viable antidote to the strikes that
• ’Warns against ‘rewarding terrorism’
The Congress of University Academics (CONUA), University of Maiduguri Branch, has described its approach to labour relations as a viable antidote to the strikes that have continued to disrupt academic activities in Nigerian public universities.
The union made this known during a visit by its Interim Chairman, Prof. Muhammad Fannami, and Interim Secretary, Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Bedu, to the Vice Chancellor of the University of Maiduguri, (UNIMAID), Prof. Mohammed Laminu Mele, at his office in Maiduguri.
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Fannami said CONUA was established to provide a constructive alternative to prolonged industrial actions, which he noted have severely undermined the stability of academic calendars and the quality of university education in the country.
According to him, the union is a registered labour organisation affiliated with the Trade Union Congress (TUC), operating under the provisions of the Trade Unions Act Cap T.14 of 2004, as amended by the Trade Unions (Amendment) Act of 2005. He explained that CONUA’s model prioritises dialogue, engagement and innovative dispute-resolution mechanisms over strikes, which he described as a “last resort” that often comes at great cost to students, parents and the broader economy.
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Fannami appealed to the university management to create an enabling and democratic space for the union to mobilise members among academic staff, stressing that CONUA is one of the labour unions legally recognised to operate in the universities.
The vice chancellor welcomed CONUA’s vision of curbing strikes in the public university system, noting that industrial harmony is critical to academic excellence and national development.
He assured the union’s leadership of the university management’s readiness to engage labour unions and support initiatives that promote a stable, peaceful and productive academic environment for both academic and non-academic staff.
