ASUU and Nigerian university lecturers will hold an emergency meeting to discuss Buhari government salary withholding.
ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, who confirmed the planned meeting, stated that the date for the meeting had not yet been decided upon by the National Executive Council of the union. Emmanuel Osodeke confirmed that the meeting would take place.
According to recent reports, the National Executive Council of the Academic Staff Union of Universities is preparing to convene an emergency meeting in order to debate the eight-month salary arrears that the federal government has withheld from their members.
ASUU President Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, who confirmed the planned meeting, stated that the date for the meeting had not yet been decided upon by the National Executive Council of the union. Emmanuel Osodeke confirmed that the meeting would take place.
According to a report by SaharaReporters, on February 14, 2022, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which is an umbrella body for lecturers working in public universities, began a strike in an effort to compel the federal government to implement the 2009 ASUU/FG agreement regarding how to fund university education in Nigeria to meet global best practice standards.
However, the strike persisted for eight following a series of failed negotiations before Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, mediated a peace settlement with striking academics.
While this was going on, the administration that is led by President Muhammadu Buhari insisted that it would not pay for those months that the strike continued even after the teachers had returned to their classrooms.
Since that time, members of ASUU have demonstrated against the policy of no-work-no-pay policy, saying that if they are not paid, none of the students’ semesters or exams papers will be marked.
In contrast, when speaking with PUNCH, the President of ASUU stated, “We (NEC) had met before now and achieved conclusions. However, we will meet again to decide on the next step to take, and when we do so, we will let the public know.”
“But if there is one thing that I can promise you, it is that very soon we will get together to discuss this matter of salaries that have been withheld. This obligation must be paid in full by the FG. It is our legal entitlement.”
We allowed the administration some time to see whether there would be any progress, but they have not taken any action. According to what he said, “We are now compiling reports from our members and will take action.”
He expressed his sadness over the situation by saying that professors working at Nigerian colleges were having a difficult time of it.
“Our members are going through a challenging time as they are continuing to perform the same work that the FG said they did not perform and that they would not be paid for.
“We are doing all of things in order to protect the interests of the country, but this cannot continue indefinitely. He continued by saying, “We will definitely meet very soon, and at that meeting, we will make a decision that is appropriate.”
He stated that there had been no progress made in the conversations between the academics and the Federal Government, and he mentioned that the legal battle between them will continue in February of this year.