CONUA doesn’t believe in industrial strike, UNIABUJA chapter tells Ag VC

The Congress of University Academics (CONUA), University of Abuja Chapter, has reaffirmed its core value as a non-striking registered trade union committed to the general welfare of its members.

Secretary of the Chapter, Prof. Issa Abdulraheem, stated this when a delegation of the union paid a congratulatory visit to the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the University, Prof. Aisha Sani Maikudi, at the VC’s Conference Room, on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.

Prof. Abdulraheem told the Acting Vice-Chancellor that CONUA strongly believed that strike should not be an option in resolving industrial disputes, especially between University management and academic staff.

He stressed that the union was committed to changing the narratives in the nation’s ivory tower through the promotion of academic entrepreneurship, dialogue, and courtesy.

While noting that the essence of the visit was to congratulate the Acting Vice-Chancellor on her recent appointment and to inform her of CONUA’s existence in the University, the union’s scribe remarked that two members of the chapter, including himself and Dr Aminu Isyaku, are CONUA national officers.

Prof. Abdulraheem assured the Acting Vice-Chancellor of the union’s readiness to be partners in progress with management, just as he sought reciprocating gestures through the inclusion of its members in various statutory committees, including that of Budget Monitoring.

He noted that the chapter had written two separate letters to the newly inaugurated Governing Council of the University, highlighting its legal status as a registered trade union and the need for the Chapter’s full recognition and entitlement to all rights and privileges enjoyed by other unions in the University.

He, therefore, expressed his happiness that CONUA-UNIABUJA Chairman, Prof. Abdul Buba, is a Council member representing Senate, stating that his wealth of experience would add value to the University system.

Responding, the Acting Vice-Chancellor thanked the union for the visit and urged its leadership to always prioritise members’ welfare.

While assuring the union of her support, she clarified that the decision as to the composition of statutory committees like that of Budget Monitoring, was within the purview of the Governing Council.

She urged the union to remain focused in the pursuit of its goals for the overall benefits of its members and the University system.