From Atiku Sarki, Abuja
The National President of the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), Comrade Niyi Sunmonu, has called on the Federal Government to urgently investigate the alleged diversion of student loans by some universities in collusion with certain banks.
Speaking to labour correspondents at the recent Trade Union Congress (TUC) Quadrennial Delegates Conference in Abuja, Sunmonu emphasized the need for the government to establish a fact-finding committee to uncover those involved and ensure they are brought to justice.
“There must be transparency throughout the process. Once a loan is approved for a student at a particular university, the student should be formally notified that the loan has been disbursed,” he said.
The CONUA President also urged the government to include academic unions such as CONUA in the monitoring and implementation of student loans to ensure accountability.
He criticized the National Orientation Agency (NOA) for failing to name the specific universities and banks allegedly involved in the scandal. “Rather than generalizing and tarnishing the image of all universities, the NOA should name and shame those directly responsible,” he said.
It will be recalled that the NOA had recently, through its community workers, raised concerns over the alleged diversion of student loans but failed to provide specific details.
Sunmonu, an Associate Professor of Atmospheric Physics at Obafemi Awolowo University, Ilesha, attended the conference in his capacity as CONUA President. When asked why the union took time to emerge fully, he explained that while CONUA was formed at OAU in February 2018, the formal recognition process began in October 2022 with the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment and was concluded in January 2023.
“Like every organization, we had to evolve and go through different stages. We’re now in the phase of asserting ourselves. We understand the strength of our sister union that has been around since 1978, but we are committed to building our own identity, growing steadily without overextending ourselves,” he said.
Regarding CONUA’s activities in agencies like TETFund and the National Universities Commission (NUC), he said: “Now that we have legal recognition, we will continue to advocate for what we believe in. We won’t relent.”
When asked about the union’s membership strength and its share of the recently released N50 billion academic allowances, Sunmonu said CONUA currently has chapters in 30 universities, including state universities and inter-university centres. He noted that the union is expanding, with state council chairpersons mobilizing new members across more institutions.
He commended the Federal Government for the release of the N50 billion, stating that it belongs to all academics and should be fairly disbursed. “We understand that the Ministry of Education is still working out the modalities for disbursement. But what’s most important to academics is not just allowances, but consistent salary improvements,” he said.
He also addressed the proposed minimum wage of ₦70,000, suggesting that salary enhancement should take precedence over irregular payments.
Sunmonu confirmed that CONUA has check-off dues and highlighted that this was one of the reasons for the union’s participation in the TUC Delegates Conference.
CONUA is a breakaway union of academic staff in Nigerian tertiary institutions. It was formally recognized in 2022 and now operates independently from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
