ASUU Strike: Why we formed a parallel union - CONUA reacts to OAU KILONSHELE reports
Peter Oyebanji
The Congress of University Academics (CONUA), a parallel body of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) in Obafemi Awolowo University has reacted to the report of this news outfit.
While the OAU ASUU Chairman, Adeola Egbedokun, declared total compliance with the body's nation-wide industrial action last week, the CONUA members are on a different side.
A report titled "Dear CONUA, can you channel those energies into better things?"published by this news outfit on November 6 was responded to by the Secretary of CONUA, Mr Henri Oripeloye.
Mr Henri Oripeloye in a conversation with a correspondent of OAU Kilonshele, gave reasons and also revealed some reasons why CONUA will not join ASUU Strike.
Mr Henri cited mismanagement of funds and violation of constitutional provisions by the executives as the reasons why a parallel body was formed.
Mr Henri also made it known that two moves to call the executives together were rebuffed at the national level.
It should be recalled that OAU Kilonshele reported the intervention of the national body when the crisis started last year August.
The national body condemned the caretaker commitee chaired by the now chairman of CONUA, Mr Niyi Sumonu and deemed it illegal.
"The caretaker committee is an illegal contraption unknown to ASUU OAU. " was stated in the report and findings read by Comr. Prof. Abdullahi Sule-Kano, the head of the Trustee committee set up by the national level to look into the crisis.
However, the crisis escalated later and led to the issue of forming a parallel body which have a higher percent of lecturers than ASUU.
The CONUA official also said;
"The crisis started a long time on issues of mismanagement, violation of constitutional provisions on election and it reached a head when ASUU executive was using the platform of ASUU to support Professour Omole's attempt to impose Prof Salami as Vice Chancellor off due process."
"Attempt to call the executive to order was rebuffed and National supported them."
Mr Henri also talked about the issue of caretaker committee, why check off dues were stopped and the formation of CONUA.
"At a Congress, the executive was put on suspension in order to investigate the allegations against them and a caretaker committee was put in place at that same Congress. This move too was rebuffed with the support of National."
"All along we were paying our check-off dues but made it impossible for the executive to run the account since they had been suspended."
On the negligence of the national ASUU, He said; "Unfortunately, instead of the national ASUU to wade in and settle the problems, the treasurer who has refused to cooperate with the executive in the operations of the account was removed by the president against the constitution. This enabled the transfer of 11 million Naira to national ASUU."
"It was at this point that we stopped our check off dues. Afterwards, some of us were either expelled, suspended or asked to return to ASUU after going through readmission process. We numbered about 800. It was this last action that led to the formation of CONUA in OAU."
Meanwhile, the ASUU chairman, Adeola Egbedokun, in a conference organised by the Education Rights Campaign made it known that the union is doing all her possible best to make things right.
The Congress of University Academics (CONUA), a parallel body of Academic Staff Union of University (ASUU) in Obafemi Awolowo University has reacted to the report of this news outfit.
While the OAU ASUU Chairman, Adeola Egbedokun, declared total compliance with the body's nation-wide industrial action last week, the CONUA members are on a different side.
A report titled "Dear CONUA, can you channel those energies into better things?"published by this news outfit on November 6 was responded to by the Secretary of CONUA, Mr Henri Oripeloye.
Mr Henri Oripeloye in a conversation with a correspondent of OAU Kilonshele, gave reasons and also revealed some reasons why CONUA will not join ASUU Strike.
Mr Henri cited mismanagement of funds and violation of constitutional provisions by the executives as the reasons why a parallel body was formed.
Mr Henri also made it known that two moves to call the executives together were rebuffed at the national level.
It should be recalled that OAU Kilonshele reported the intervention of the national body when the crisis started last year August.
The national body condemned the caretaker commitee chaired by the now chairman of CONUA, Mr Niyi Sumonu and deemed it illegal.
"The caretaker committee is an illegal contraption unknown to ASUU OAU. " was stated in the report and findings read by Comr. Prof. Abdullahi Sule-Kano, the head of the Trustee committee set up by the national level to look into the crisis.
However, the crisis escalated later and led to the issue of forming a parallel body which have a higher percent of lecturers than ASUU.
The CONUA official also said;
"The crisis started a long time on issues of mismanagement, violation of constitutional provisions on election and it reached a head when ASUU executive was using the platform of ASUU to support Professour Omole's attempt to impose Prof Salami as Vice Chancellor off due process."
"Attempt to call the executive to order was rebuffed and National supported them."
Mr Henri also talked about the issue of caretaker committee, why check off dues were stopped and the formation of CONUA.
"At a Congress, the executive was put on suspension in order to investigate the allegations against them and a caretaker committee was put in place at that same Congress. This move too was rebuffed with the support of National."
"All along we were paying our check-off dues but made it impossible for the executive to run the account since they had been suspended."
On the negligence of the national ASUU, He said; "Unfortunately, instead of the national ASUU to wade in and settle the problems, the treasurer who has refused to cooperate with the executive in the operations of the account was removed by the president against the constitution. This enabled the transfer of 11 million Naira to national ASUU."
"It was at this point that we stopped our check off dues. Afterwards, some of us were either expelled, suspended or asked to return to ASUU after going through readmission process. We numbered about 800. It was this last action that led to the formation of CONUA in OAU."
Meanwhile, the ASUU chairman, Adeola Egbedokun, in a conference organised by the Education Rights Campaign made it known that the union is doing all her possible best to make things right.
Not Mr Henry Oripeloye but Dr Henry Oripeloye
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