The Muhammadu Buhari-led government has refused to pay ASUU members their salaries for the period they were on strike.
A Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has said the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, contradicted the law by facilitating the payment of withheld salaries of some lecturers at the Nnamdi Azikiwe University (also called UNIZIK), Awka.
Ngige is a former governor of Anambra State.
SaharaReporters had reported that contrary to claims made by Ngige that 204 lecturers of the College of Health Sciences in the university located in Anambra did not join other members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to go on strike in 2022, it was learnt that the lecturers indeed partook in the industrial action.
A letter dated March 30, 2023, addressed to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and signed by Ngige, asked the finance minister to direct the Accountant General of the Federation to exempt the 204 lecturers and “be paid the outstanding arrears of their full salaries during the strike period from February 14, 2022 to date”.
The Muhammadu Buhari-led government has refused to pay ASUU members their salaries for the period they were on strike.
But Ngige, a former Anambra governor, referring to a “letter dated March 24, 2023, and a letter dated February 2, 2023, co-signed by Deans of the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, and Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, of the above-named University”, said the lecturers should be paid.
However, Falana who is the counsel for ASUU said the minister’s action contradicts the law, noting all UNIZIK lecturers joined the eight-month strike last year, contrary to Ngige’s claim.
Falana said, “Dr Ngige has convinced the federal government not to pay ASUU members for embarking on strike in 2022. But he has decided to isolate his colleagues in his home state for special favour by causing their salaries to be paid for the period of the same strike.
“Dr Ngige took similar action when members of the National Association of Resident Doctors embarked on strike in 2021. The federal government paid the salaries of the resident doctors for the period of their strike.”
“The actions of the minister run contrary to the provision of Section 42(1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and article 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap A9, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 which have prohibited any form of discrimination in the application of the law or policy of the government,” he added.