Buhari’s administration had insisted on a “no-work, no-pay” policy against public university lecturers while they were on strike for eight months. Consequently, the lecturers were paid half of their salaries for October, the month the strike was called off.
The University of Jos chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), on Tuesday, joined the University of Lagos chapter to protest against the payment of half salaries by President Muhammadu Buhari-led government.
Buhari’s administration had insisted on a “no-work, no-pay” policy against public university lecturers while they were on strike for eight months. Consequently, the lecturers were paid half of their salaries for October, the month the strike was called off.
The University of Lagos (UNILAG) chapter on Tuesday declared a one-day nationwide protest against the policy.
The aggrieved lecturers are seen protesting on the streets of Lagos State in a video shared on Twitter.
“ASUU UNILAG chapter sing solidarity songs as they hold a one-day protest over the payment of half salaries to members in October,” the video was captioned.
However, the Chairperson of ASUU, University of Jos, Associate Professor Lazarus Maigoro in a statement on Tuesday said the university’s chapter of ASUU has also rejected the ‘no work, no pay’ policy and the payment of half of their salaries to them.
He lamented that the government had yet to pay them salaries for eight months.
The statement reads, “ASUU University of Jos Branch says ‘No’ to the casualisation of Nigerian University Academics through the payment of pro rata salary as well as the withholding of our 8 months salaries.
“We condemn the mischievous IPPIS platform as a means of amputating our hard-earned wages as well as a tool for criminal diversion of part of our salaries to private pockets using unverified deductions.
“Our branch in the University of Jos calls on the Nigerian public to impress upon the government on the need to adhere and honour agreements it freely and willingly entered with our Union including the conclusion of the renegotiation of the ASUU -FG 2022 agreement chaired by Prof. Mimi Briggs.”
Prof. Maigoro added that the union was directed by the Bauchi zone of ASUU to hold a special congress meeting and a peaceful rally on the campus of the university to draw attention to their plight.
“The Nigerian University system is currently facing its most severe existential threat from the unpatriotic Nigerian ruling class.
“Over the years, the systematic neglect, chronic underfunding and the lack of attention given to the Nigerian university system and by extension, the Nigerian educational system has led to a downward slide and challenges for the Nigerian public universities,” he said.
A letter sent by the chairperson of ASUU's University of Lagos chapter, Dr Dele Ashiru, noted that there would be a protest on Tuesday.
The letter noted that a special congress/protest demonstration against the casualisation of intellectualism in Nigeria would take place on Tuesday, November 15, 2022, at Julius Berger auditorium.