FG, ASUU Begin Fresh Showdown as Minister Tackles Lecturers
0
0
FG, ASUU Begin Fresh Showdown as Minister Tackles Lecturers
The Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU may be preparing for another showdown as the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has insisted the government will not pay full salaries to lecturers despite their ongoing nationwide protest.
ASUU had on Monday begun protests across the country to press home their demand for full pay after the Federal Government failed to pay them for the eight-month period the lecturers were on strike.
However, 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.
READ ALSO: AbdulRazaq Approves Promotion Exams for 3,700 Kwara TESCOM Staff
The PUNCH reports that ASUU, which embarked on strike in February, called off the industrial action in October, after a Court of Appeal order them to do so.
Following the development, the government paid the lecturers half salaries for the month of October while insisting that it would not pay for the eight months they were on strike.
In response, ASUU began protests across the country. But the education minister declared on Wednesday that the lecturers “would not be paid for work not done.”
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.
ASUU Accuses Parties
Meanwhile, the President, ASUU, Osodeke, on Wednesday alleged that politicians were planning to privatise federal universities across the country.
Speaking at a special congress of the ASUU of the Joseph Sarwuan Tarka University, formerly known as Federal University of Agriculture, Makurdi, in honour of the outgoing Vice Chancellor of the university, Professor Richard Kimbir, Osodeke said the two options were being considered by the presidential candidates of some parties in the forthcoming general elections.
He said, “If you don’t know, they are planning to sell the universities (federal universities) through public-private partnership, this is being planned by two presidential candidates and the other plan is to initiate student loan at five per cent interest rate.
According to him, contrary to what is obtainable in USA, where student can easily get job and repay the loan, the situation in the country is more difficult due to the lack of jobs for graduates.
“In Nigeria where you have graduates that cannot get a job for several years and by the time you spend 30 years, the loan will run to N40m,” he observed.
Meanwhile, the Chairperson, ASUU, ATBU, Bauchi Branch, Dr. Ibrahim Inuwa, has alleged that the Federal Government is deliberately underfunding public universities to deny the masses access to education through exorbitant fees.
He spoke at a press conference held at the ASUU secretariat, shortly after staging a peaceful protest with ASUU members.
He said, “After suspending the eight months strike due to a court order and interventions of well-meaning Nigerians, the government went so low to withhold the salaries of ASUU members and only paid pro-rata for the October salary. The union rejects the casualisation of Nigerian academics.
