The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has voiced worries about the delay in paying almost eight months’ worth of salaries to university lecturers, which was held back due to the strike they had in 2022.
According to ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke, this was among the topics discussed during their National Executive Council meeting.
The meeting took place at the University of Maiduguri in Borno State from August 19th to August 20th, 2023.
READ ALSO: ASUU Suspends Eight-month-old strike
Don,t apply “No-Work-No-Pay” rule
ASUU pointed out that applying the “No-Work-No-Pay” rule to teachers during the strike isn’t fair.
They explained that only the teaching part of their work stopped during the strike, and they have made up for that lost time under difficult economic conditions.
The union praised Nigerian teachers for staying strong through tough times caused by unpaid salaries.
ASUU are not going on strike again
ASUU has gone on strikes in the past because governments didn’t keep promises made during negotiations, but they said there won’t be a strike in the next week. This is a big relief for many students who were worried their studies might be stopped again.
They want President Bola Tinubu’s government to work quickly on the 2009 ASUU/FGN Agreement, based on the advice of the Professor Nimi Briggs Committee, to fix things in universities.
The payroll system is bad
ASUU also talked about unpaid promotions and issues caused by the payroll system they were put on. They want the government to fix these problems too.
The union criticized some bad practices related to employment and autonomy of universities. They called on the government to protect university independence and to stop harmful actions.
ASUU is worried about a move by the National Universities Commission (NUC) to change the curriculum in universities. They think this is a bad idea and they’ll keep fighting against it.
The union is also concerned about experienced teachers leaving due to poor working conditions. They want better pay to stop this “Japa” trend and make Nigerian universities better.
Lastly, ASUU has a message for the government to make life better for Nigerians. They want more funding for education and health, and they want Nigeria to be less dependent on outside forces like the World Bank and IMF. They also want improvements in the oil and gas industry.
READ ALSO: ASUU: A tussle of pain over the future of Nigeria students
Falana blasts as Ngige demands outstanding UNIZIK lecturers’ salaries from FG
Meanwhile, one of the prominent Senior Advocates of Nigeria, Mr. Femi Falana, has kicked against the demand of the Minister of Labour, Dr. Chris Ngige in respect of the payment of salaries to UNIZIK lecturers.
In a press release by The Cable, it was reported that Dr. Chris Ngige requested that the outstanding salaries of Nnamdi Azikiwe University College of Health Sciences lecturers should be paid
The Minister of Labour, he reported that the lectures of UNIZIK actively performed their duties during the elongated strike period of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU)
