From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has submitted its annual financial returns and audited accounts, and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has urged the Registrar of Trade Unions to approve and file them (ASUU).
This was stated by the NLC President, Mr. Ayuba Wabba, in a letter sent on Friday in Abuja to Sen. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labor and Employment, and the Registrar of Trade Unions.
The letter was entitled, “Re: Non-Rendition of Annual Financial Returns and Audited Accounts’’.
Wabba appealed to the Registrar to accept and filed the report in accordance with the provisions of Section 37(1) of the Trade Union Act CAP TILFN 2004.
Ngige had said that ASUU registration, as a trade union may be withdrawn over alleged failure to submit its audited reports as required by law for over five years.
Wabba said that the Congress attention had been drawn by the ASUU, an affiliate to a letter dated Sept. 7,on the foregoing subject.
According to him, we understand that ASUU has responded to your query to submit its Annual Financial Reports and Audited Accounts within 72 hours.
“ASUU responded to the query through their letter dated Sept. 9. 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 9th September 2022.
“All these submissions were made in less than 72 hours in compliance with your query as conveyed in your letter of Sept. 7,’’ he said.
He however, said that due to disruptions occasioned by the COVID-19 pandemic, the union was unable to file the reports immediately the financial documents were prepared and available for filing.
The NLC president said that regardless of the COVID-19 disruptions, the union had paid for the statutory required filing fees.
“We also understand that ASUU sent one of their staff and their external auditor to personally deliver the requested financial documents on Sept. 9.
“But their efforts to submit the documents were rebuffed by your staff who insisted that they were under instructions not to accept any document from ASUU.
“ASUU subsequently sent the requested financial documents through courier services but again the staff in your office refused to receive the Annual Financial Returns and the Audited Accounts from ASUU,’’he said.
Wabba added that given the current stalemate, we write implore you to use your good offices to accept and file the Annual Financial Returns and Audited Accounts by ASUU.
“While we look forward to your kind consideration of our request, please accept the renewed assurances of our highest esteem, ’’he said.