The Federal Government on Saturday explained why it failed to pay full salaries to lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities. This statement is coming after the union threatened another strike over the half salaries.
In a statement, by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the government noted that members of ASUU were paid their October salary pro-rata. According to the ministry, pro-rata was done because they cannot be paid for work not done.
The statement further clarified that the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, never directed the Accountant General of the Federation to pay the university lecturers half salaries.
The statement reads in part, “Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, asking ASUU to go back to work, the leadership of the union wrote to the Minister, informing him that they have suspended the strike. The Federal Ministry of Education wrote to him in a similar vein and our labour inspectors in various states also confirmed that they have resumed work.
“So, the Minister wrote to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, directing that their salaries should be restored. They were paid in pro-rata for the number of days that they worked in October, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action. Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.”
The ministry equally faulted a statement by the Chairperson of ASUU, Usman Danfodiyo University Sokoto branch, Muhammad N. Al-Mustapha, accusing the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, of biased payment of salaries to selected professional members of the union.
“Those obviously being referred to by the UDUS ASUU chairperson were members of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association who abstained from the eight-month strike of ASUU because they abhorred the incessant strikes by the union and its grave effects on medical education in Nigeria and production of more medical doctors.”
“Accusing the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, of biased payment of salaries to selected professional members of ASUU, is a barefaced distortion of facts. Mustapha said he received information that a segment of the staff in the College of Health Sciences has been paid seven months of their withheld salaries from March to September, due to a letter written to the Minister of Finance, instructing the exemption of the under-listed staff on the application of ‘No Work, No Pay’ rule.
“To set the records straight, the medical lecturers who are being referred to by the Chairperson of the ASUU UDUS branch, abstained from the eight-month strike of ASUU. This has been corroborated in a press statement by the Chairman, MDCAN UdUS, Dr B. Jubrin and Secretary, Dr I. G Ango, on Friday, November 4, 2022.”
Where did they do the teaching? Inside labour ministry or where? Bunch of liars.
At this juncture, if Asuu should embarke on another strike,its is worth it,this lectures are husbands and wife of families. The education minister who had publicly come out to apologize to Nigeria that he has failed for 3 years in his job is still been paid full salary while lectures who are fighting for the good of universities are taken like toys…
I don’t understand this your sympathy talk.The Asuu members Never sympathized with students staying at home for over eight months.You can’t be paid for services not rendered.Nigeria cannot continue like this and who told you they were fighting for the good of the university?They were fighting for their selfish interest.
Who brought these ILLITRATES and HEARTLESS WITCHES into the corridors of power. GOD YOU ARE IN CHARGE, DO SOMETHING TO BREAK THE JINX OF THE EVIL IN THIS SO CALLED GOVERNMENT…❌❓
Nice one
Aluta continua!
Asuu can not go on strike again
Asuu can’t GI on strike again
Minister of labour and minister of education want destroyed the educational system of this country because there children are not schooling in Nigeria the are heartless let the EFCC intervene so that both ministers should be investigated
When two elephants are fighting the grass suffers,the University students in Nigeria have been suffering without a simple sympathy or empathy from any of the divide; the politicians in power are more concerned about the authorities in their disposition than the future of the children, ASUU is more concerned about their welfare than the students’,we the students continue to suffer,I have been in school since 2017 and have bought bed and gas and other things almost everytime ASUU declare strike and called off this is aside the delay.
What do you learn in School? No facilities to give quality education! You are least concerned as a student about the quality of education you receive rather interested in the Certificates. It shows clearly you do not understand the reasons for ASUU strikes. Now the issue will be no pay, no work.
The government should do something about this settlement of salaries it’s very appealing to hear dat a government cannot b able to settle an academic union and we are asking for change how can dis be wen are leaders are not coorporative
I’m yet to understand what is going on in this country (NIG), the lecturers are been toyed with, and I think there should at this point do as it pleases them, it’s worth it.
No work and no pay can stop strike actions. When workers want to go on strike, they know they are forfeiting their salaries.
Collective Bargaining is better than threats of strikes and strike actions.
Strike or striker???
This government is working so dichotomy that the one’s in the prominent offices are out there for their selfish interest and even brutish in the mind’s and the state is declared null and void……
Can’t say why the country is turning this way though but what should be fine has to be done normally… Sometimes u dint really blame anybody cause it seem sthe completion of the end of time stuffs…. Government are playing with the fure leaders of the so called Tomorrow while the Educational Government Systems are toying with the Grammatical and Successfull life of their Students
Nigeria is a mess country leading by the group of thunggry human being.
Ngigi and Adamu
God is watching ooo
Don’t over foggetting your last day oo
Why is Nigeria Government acting like this, Or because their children are not schooling in Nigeria.
God is watching He will judge everyone of us according to our deeds
Really? What will now be their price? I’m fully in support of the government. Should strike always be their only weapon?
Let them take government to court just as government did if they’re right with what they’re asking.
The government should do something about this settlement of salaries it’s very appauling to hear dat a government cannot b able to settle an academic union and we are asking for change how can dis be wen are leaders are not coorporative
Course be the day that this APC government was voted into power. Course be anyone who has inflicted these unbearable pain on the poor citizenry of Nigeria and generational course be anyone who is directly or indirectly canvassing for retention of power by these wicked beings. It is a shame to have the likes of the Minister of Education and that of Labour ND Productive in any meaningful government.