The Federal Government has threatened to invoke the “no work, no pay” policy on members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who declared a two-week warning strike on Sunday.
The government urged ASUU to reconsider its position and return to dialogue in the best interest of students and the future of Nigeria’s education system
The Minister said: “While government continues to demonstrate goodwill and flexibility, it will not abdicate its responsibility to uphold fairness and accountability in the use of public resources.”
He accused ASUU members of deliberately not being interested in industrial peace and harmony in the university system, stressing that the Federal Government has demonstrated demonstrable sincerity, patience, and goodwill in its dialogue with the Union, noting that virtually all the concerns raised by ASUU have been addressed.
“These include the introduction of a big percentage of teaching allowance and significant improvements in the conditions of service of academic staff.
“The few remaining matters are those that rightfully fall within the jurisdiction of the governing councils of the respective universities, which have been recently reconstituted to handle such internal issues.”
He noted that, though the government has made every effort to resolve all the issues and ensure that students remain in school, ASUU is not operating with the same zeal.
“The government had met the deadline for presenting its position to the union as agreed, yet instead of reverting to the Ministry in continuation of dialogue, ASUU has chosen to proceed with strike action.
“This action, the Ministers observed, does not reflect a spirit of cooperation or fairness to the students and the public, especially given the government’s demonstrable commitment and concrete steps already taken.”
He reassured Nigerian students, parents, and the public that the federal government is firmly committed to maintaining industrial harmony in the tertiary education system.
