The Nigeria Labour Congress has warned against reported
moves by the Federal Government to withdraw the registration licence of the
Academic Staff Union of Universities over non-submission of its audited
financial returns for over five years.
While dismissing the claims that ASUU had not submitted its
audited financial returns to the Registrar of Trade Unions for over five years
as required by the law, the NLC insisted that the union had submitted its
financial reports up to 2021.
Reacting to media report that the Federal Government may
withdraw ASUU’s registration because of the alleged infractions, the NLC
alleged that ASUU submitted its financial reports twice, but were deliberately
rejected.
In the letter to the Registrar of Trade Unions and copied
the Minister of Labour and Employment, NLC President of NLC, Ayuba Wabba,
warned against moves to deregister or withdraw ASUU’s registration licence.
The NLC in the letter dated September 2022, said, “We
understand that ASUU has responded to your query to submit its Annual Financial
Report and Audited Accounts within 72 hours. ASUU responded to the query
through their letter dated September 9, 2022.
“In the letter, the union posited that it had submitted the
Annual Financial Returns and Audited Accounts for 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017.
ASUU also averred that the union has now rendered the account for 2018, 2019,
2020, and 2021 as at September 9, 2022.
“We understand that due to disruptions occasioned by the
COVID-19 pandemic, the union was unable to fill these reports immediately the
financial documents were prepared and available for filing. We also understand
that regardless of the COVID-19 disruptions, the union had paid for statutory
required filling fees.”
Meanwhile, the National Association of Nigerian Students has
appealed to the Academic Staff Union of Universities to respect the ruling of
the Industrial Court which directed its members to go back to work pending the
determination of the suit.
The North-East, Zone E, Zonal Coordinator of NANS, Alhassan
Adam, made the appeal while speaking to journalists on Friday at the NUJ
Secretariat in Bauchi, the Bauchi State capital.
He, however, called on the Federal Government to immediately
pay the lecturers their outstanding seven months’ salaries so that academic
activities could go back to normal.
Adam, who was accompanied to the press conference by other
zonal and state officials, said: “We are here today Friday, the 23rd September,
2022 to address you in Bauchi State regarding the court judgment between ASUU
and Federal Government.
“After a seven month stand-off between ASUU and the Federal
Government, just last Wednesday, the Industrial Court made a judgment between
the Federal Government and ASUU.
“The Federal Government won the case against ASUU; indeed,
the judgment is a win-win to Nigerian students under the leadership of the new
President of NANS, Comrade Usman Umar Barambu.
“Based on that, the leadership of Nigerian Students (NANS)
deemed it very necessary to call on ASUU to please respect the judgment of the
court in good faith, so that our students can return back to classes after
seven months of deadbeat staying at home.”
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