Amidst ongoing protests by the Academic Staff Union of Universities over part payment of salaries by the Federal Government in October, the Federal Government has maintained its position that the lecturers would not be paid for work not done.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, stated this on Wednesday after the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the State House in Abuja.
The part payment followed the suspension of ASUU’s eight-month strike, in line with an order by the National Industrial Court for the lecturers to return to work.
Responding to allegations by the National President of ASUU, Prof, Emmanuel Osodoke that the part payment was simply a tactic to casualise lecturers in the university system, the minister stated that the government held no such plans.
“The strike has been called off and the government has paid them what is due to them. I think that is the position of the government, that it is not going to pay anyone for work not done and they only did the number of days that they were paid,” Adamu said.
“How can anybody make a university lecturer a casual worker? It is impossible to make a university lecturer a casual worker.”
Osodeke, on Tuesday, criticised the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, over his alleged authorisation of the part-payment of salaries to members of the union.
‘Ngige no longer mediator’
ASUU, on Tuesday, criticised the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige for his alleged involvement in the part payment to union members.
“He (Ngige) has gone to court, which means he has lost his right as a conciliator. Once he has taken this case to the Industrial Court, he has lost that right as a conciliator; he has no say again, but he’s still interloping,” Osodeke said.
Asked what role the Minister of Labour currently plays in the matter, the ASUU president said, “He has nothing. He’s an interloper. If we’re calling him a conciliator, it has gone beyond him.”
Osodeke however expressed confidence that the agitations of the union would be resolved in the interest of students, parents, and the country. According to him, professors on the same salary scale were paid varying amounts, such as N200,000, N180,000, and N90,000.
