The Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) has warned the Federal Government to shelve its plans of withdrawing the registration license of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) over non-submission of its audited financial returns for over five years.

The NLC equally dismissed the claims that ASUU has not submitted its audited financial returns for over five years as required by the law.

The NLC President, Comrade Ayuba Wabba, made this known via a letter dated September 9, 2022, and addressed to the Registrar of Trade Unions and copied the Minister of Labour and Employment.

The union stated that it submitted all its financial reports up till 2021, noting that it submitted its financial reports twice, but the reports were deliberately rejected.

The letter partly read: “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 9 September 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.

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“We also understand that regardless of the COVID-19 disruptions, the union had paid for statutory required filling fees.

“We also understand that ASUU sent one of their staff and their external auditor to personality deliver the requested financial documents on the 9 of September 2022 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.

“Given the current stalemate, we write to implore you to use your good offices to accept and the Annual Financial Returns and Audited Accounts by ASUU in accordance with the provisions of Section 37(1)of the Trade Union Act CAP TILFN 2004.”

ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, had earlier written to the Registrar of Trade Unions, intimating him of the development.

“In a letter dated September 9, 2022, entitled Re: Non-rendition to annual financial returns and audited accounts, Professor Osodeke, among others, I wish to draw your attention to the fact that, on receipt of the letter under reference, the union submitted the Annual Financial Returns and Audited Accounts for 2014, 2015, 2016, and 2017 to your office.

“Therefore, the union did not fail, neglect or refuse to render its Annual Financial Returns and Audited Accounts as prescribed by the law.

“Meanwhile, the union has now rendered the account for 2018, 2019, 2020, and 2021 within 72 hours given by your office as at today 9 September, 2022,” he stated.

The Star