The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) may drag the President Muhammadu Buhari-led Nigerian government over its members’ eight months’ withheld salaries if the government goes ahead to pay members of the parallel union, the Congress of Nigerian University Academics.
Counsel for ASUU, Femi Falana, disclosed this in an interview on Monday.
SaharaReporters had reported that the Nigerian Government had directed university lecturers under the Congress of University (CONUA) to submit their details to the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation for the payment of their withheld salaries.
This was made known in a letter dated January 13, 2023, and signed by the Director of Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System Department, Charles Wali. The letter was addressed to the CONUA President, Obafemi Awolowo University chapter.
SaharaReporters had reported how the Buhari government refused to pay the salaries of Nigerian lecturers during the eight-month strike by ASUU and went ahead to register CONUA as a trade union.
Sunmonu had also told newsmen that members of his union did not embark on strike and hence should not have their salaries withheld.
Speaking with PUNCH, when asked for his reaction to the plan by the government to pay CONUA members and leave out ASUU, Falana said, “We want them to pay the (CONUA) money. That is why we have not reacted.
“That (the payment) will form the legal basis for the government to now pay ASUU. We will now have the legal grounds to challenge them in a court of law. Through that, ASUU will be paid. They won’t have a choice. Let them go ahead.”
The National President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, could not be reached for comment at the time of filing this report.
Meanwhile, the Joint Action Committee of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities and Non-Academic Staff of Educational and Associated Institutions stated that there was no justification for the government to withhold members' salaries and pay CONUA.
SSANU's National President, Mr Ibrahim Mohammed, who spoke on behalf of the two groups, in an interview with one of our correspondents, said, "The idea of separating some groups is not welcome. We're all working in the same building. Negotiations and renegotiations resulted in the strike. No union should be held accountable for strikes. We went on strike because the government failed to follow through on all of the agreements we made with them 12 years ago.
“The same law says workers are free to go on strike if they go through due process, so there is no justification for not paying our members. Our members are not happy about our four months’ salaries being withheld. It was forced on us. One of the legal ways to protest was to go on strike. We have told the government to passionately look at the situation in the country. We have had our members suffer and they found it difficult to pay school fees to meet some family demands.
“Withholding the money dealt serious blows to the members of the university community, especially SSANU. We will not support any disparity. Government should pay money to all workers of the University unions. The government has no justification to withhold our money they should do the needful.”