Dr John Edor, Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities, University of Calabar branch, has cautioned the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, for advising the Federal Government to proscribe the Union NEGROIDHAVEN has confirmed.
Edor, who spoke with newsmen shortly after chairing the Congress of the UNICAL chapter of ASUU on Wednesday in Calabar, said that the move by the Minister was totally out of place.
He said that at a time where there seems to be an insight of suspending the over 8 months strike, the Minister was not supposed to be negative.
“A government official like Ngige should not be talking about proscribing the Union at a time like this. The Minister himself participated in this truce in a meeting with the Speaker of House of Representatives.
“Any government official still thinking in that direction should re-trace his/her steps for the interest of the country.
He said that the Congress was part of the process arising from the intervention of the Speaker of House of Representative, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila on the matter.
Edor said that some understanding and shifting of grounds have been made and reached between the Union and the Federal Government.
“We need to process this outcome through the various organs and the final decision will be taken at the National Executive Council of ASUU.
On the registration of Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA) and Nigeria Association of Medical and Dental Lecturers in Academics (NAMDA) by the Federal Government, Edor described the act as totally wrong.
“There is a precedent where a group of persons came together, applied to be registered as a Union, and the same ministry of Labour replied them that they cannot be registered because there was already an existing union that caters for their needs.
“It is illegal to have registered the two unions. In UNICAL, we have no member of CONUA.
“There is no need to divide ASUU, instead solve the problems that ASUU is asking you to look into,” he said.
