ASUU Strike: Uncertainties In Universities As FG Sticks On ‘No-Work No-Pay’ Policy
Unrest in the university system is being brought on by the federal government’s decision to maintain its position of “No Work, No Pay” for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
According to THE INFORMANT lecturers received their full salary for the month of November 2022, but the federal government has yet to pay the eight-month arrears for which the union went on a ten-month strike.
According to Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, the lecturers in October 2022 were also paid pro rata (half-pay), which was for the lecturers’ eighteen working days in the month of October.
The National Executive Council of ASUU is anticipated to have a pivotal meeting in the upcoming days to discuss the partially paid pay and the non-implementation of their demands, THE INFORMANT has learned. The situation is causing discontent in tertiary institutions, and students are afraid of the potential impact the standoff between the government and ASUU would have on their education.
For instance, the ASUU Chapter at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) has instructed its members to boycott departmental, faculty, and Senate Council meetings intended to approve student outcomes until the compensation issue is resolved.
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Additionally, Dr. Kassim Umaru, branch chairman of the University of Abuja, stated that if the government fails to address the issues, the National Executive Council of ASUU will decide on a course of action. Observing that the union (lecturers) was coerced into the classroom by a court injunction, he urged House Speaker Gbajabiamila to uphold the agreement reached with the union.
“We are not going to give up until the federal government of Nigeria do the needful by paying our salaries and by also honouring the agreement signed in 2020. This government has signed several agreement with our union, not once, not twice, not thrice but refused to honour our agreement,” he said.
