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By Gabriel Dike and Rita Ugo
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday warned that nobody can threaten the union or its members for embarking on a strike to press home their demands.
In a swift reaction to the Federal Government’s threat of invoking the no work, no pay policy, ASUU President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna told Daily Sun that its demands were legitimate and remained unmet.
Following the two weeks strike by ASUU, the Federal Government threatened to impose the labour law of no work, no pay but ASUU president countered the government and warned that no threat would deter the union from pursing its legitimate demands.
His words: “Nobody can threaten us. We don’t want to respond to threats, the education minister cannot threaten us.’’
On the minister’s claim that the Federal Government has resolved all ASUU’s demands, Piwuna said: “We are saying no and we don’t want to join issues with him. Let Nigerians wait and see who is telling the truth.
“We are saying that the government has not resolved the problems. So in the days ahead, it would be clear whether they are solving the problems that they have already solved or they are solving new problems; we will get to see that.
“We don’t want to join words with him. It is not a personal thing. We will stick to the issues; our issues remains 25-35 percent arrears of salary increment that have not been paid, three and a half months withheld salaries that have not been paid, agreements that have not been concluded not to talk about signing it, our third party deductions that have not been paid and the issues of our colleagues in Lagos State University and Kogi State University that has not been solved. He said he has solved all of these problems, so let’s wait and see.”
ASUU Lagos Zonal Coordinator, Prof. Adesola Nassir faulted the position of the education minister and described him as an unserious fellow, adding, “Nigerians should ask him which demands the Federal Government has met. Nigerian politicians play politics with everything.”
Prof. Nassir said the no work, no pay threat was not new to ASUU and that the union has a counter measure if the government goes ahead with the threat.
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On the strike, the zonal coordinator confirmed that every branch in Lagos zone complied with NEC directive, stating, “It is the branches that voted for strike. It is only LASU that is not part of the ongoing strike because of the crisis in the university.’’
The branch chairman of University of Lagos ASUU, Prof. Idowu Kehinde, said the congress which was held nationwide was merely to formalise NEC’s decision about the strike.
According to him, UNILAG members have complied with the directive and would not engage in academic activities, admission exercise, accreditation and other related academic matters.
The chairman also decried the government’s threat to invoke the no work, no pay, saying it is not a new thing.
Meanwhile, the industrial action by ASUU has grounded academic activities, admissions and other jobs performed by lecturers.
ASUU National Executive Council (NEC) had directed its members in public universities to embark on a two-week warning strike following the Federal Government’s inability to meet their demands.
As directed by the national body, various ASUU branches conveyed congress directive and the strike decision were endorsed.
The chairmen also informed members that the strike took effect after the congress and lecturers were warned to steer clear of any academic related activities, including supervision of students’ projects.
Many students were caught unawares of the warning strike and when their lecturers informed them of the situation, they had to leave the lecture halls.
A national official of the union told Daily Sun that reports from various branches indicated full compliance with the NEC decision.
