FG, ASUU at loggerhead again as another long strike looms
Nigerian students may suffer another prolong strike as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and the federal government are at loggerhead over refusal of the latter to pay an eight-month salary.
ASUU has continued to lament the half salary paid to university lecturers for the month of October and the refusal of the government to pay their salary for the eight months they were on strike.
ASUU embarked on a nationwide strike on February 14 but called it off on October 14 in obidience to a court order.
The union has asked its various chapters across the country to pick a day this week to protest within their campuses, the refusal of the government to pay up.
However, Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has insisted that the government will not pay full salaries to lecturers despite their ongoing nationwide protest.
Adamu, who spoke with State House correspondents in Abuja on Wednesday, insisted the protesting lecturers would not be paid for work not done in line with ‘No work no pay’ policy.
The minister also reacted to the allegation made by the President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodoke, that paying the lecturers on pro-rata basis was a ploy to make them casual workers.
“Nobody can make university lecturers casual workers,” he said. When told that the lecturers were threatening a one-day action to protest government’s action, Adamu said he was not aware.
BUK postpones examination
Meanwhile, some universities have continued to express disgust at government’s refusal to pay lecturers for the eight months.
Bayero University, Kano has already suspended its first semester exam as a result. The Vice-Chairman, ASUU, BUK branch, Dr Sagir Saleh, told reporters that the union decided to protest to show their “total rejection” of the “amputated” salary paid to members for the month of October 2022.
Also, the University of Benin chapter of ASUU has carpeted the Federal Government over its alleged attempt to criminalise the union’s strike action.
In a statement titled, “The onslaught against intellectualism,” read by the union chairman of the chapter, Ray Chikogu, at its secretariat in UNIBEN, the lecturers condemned government’s decision to withhold their salaries.
Also, the ASUU chairman for the University of Ilorin, Professor Moyosore Ajao, called on the Federal Government to pay the backlog of salaries owed members of ASUU during the strike period.
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