Fresh crisis looms in public varsities, Unilorin ASUU cries out

A fresh crisis is in the offing if the Federal Government fails to address the controversial issue of ‘No Work, No Pay’ for the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

It would be recalled that following the resumption of duty after their eight months of strike action, the federal government implemented the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy with half salaries reflected in their October pay packet.

The University of Ilorin chapter, at a press conference in Ilorin on Monday, threatened a showdown with the federal government should the authorities fail to address the lingering ‘No Work, No Pay’ controversial policy.

Secretary of the Union, Dr Abdulganiyu Olatunji, who briefed newsmen on behalf of the chairman, Professor Moyosore Ajao, urged stakeholders in the education sector to heed the warning of ASUU or risk unpleasant consequences of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy of the government.

He berated the ignoble stance of the government for withholding the eight months’ salaries of the university teachers based on the “ill-advised ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy.

The union declared that the policy is set to trigger fresh crises.

According to him: “In the coming days, the Union would respond by considering to invoke ‘No Pay, No Work’ and would abandon the works that have accumulated for those periods which government has falsely claimed through Chris Ngige, that our members have not worked.”

The union explained informed the public to take this notice again that a fresh crisis which would surpass all previous ones, is looming again in Nigeria stating that members of the union cannot and would not continue to do free work that would not be renumerated.

“We hope that with this notice, all relevant stakeholders, who have the ears of government would act fast before the fragile peace restored on the campuses nationwide collapses,” he stated.

The union expressed its resolve to continue to call the attention of government to its responsibilities despite the treatment meted out to it by the government.

“We have heeded the directive of the National Industrial Court, which directed that we resume our duty posts while the substantive matter is being heard,” he stated.

Dr Abdulganiyu further noted that it was to their utmost dismay that after the resumption, government decided to pay half salary for the month of October.

“This development is unacceptable and would be resisted by our union. The fact is that academics are not casual workers, only casual workers receive pay pro-rate.

” The law of the land is also clear on this, indeed, the National Industrial Court, made it clear in a landmark judgment in 2020 that tenured staff cannot be paid pro-rata,” Dr Abdulganiyu declared.

He commended the courage and sacrifice of the union members in the course of the struggle, assuring that their sacrifice shall never be in vain.