Strike: No Arrears, no Resumption, ASUU dares FG

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has insisted that it will not suspend its ongoing strike unless the Federal Government pays the salary arrears of its members.

The union also warned that it would not make up for the academic period lost during the strike if the government refuses to pay lecturers for the months they stayed away from work.

This was disclosed by ASUU’s National President, Emmanuel Osodeke, in an interview with The Punch.

ASUU Reacts to Education Minister’s Statement

ASUU’s position came after the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, stated that the Federal Government would not pay lecturers for the period they were on strike.

Responding, Prof. Osodeke described the minister’s position as unacceptable.

According to him, if lecturers are not paid their withheld salaries, ASUU will:

• Not teach the backlog of courses,

• Not conduct examinations for the affected academic period, and

• Commence a completely new academic session instead.

In his words, ASUU would begin a fresh academic session rather than attempt to recover the six months already lost.

“No Pay, No Work” – ASUU Maintains Hard Line

The ASUU president explained that if the government insists on applying the principle of “no work, no pay”, the union will also insist on “no pay, no work.”

He stressed that lecturers would not be compelled to compress academic work or rush students through incomplete courses without proper compensation.

Why ASUU Rejected the Government’s Salary Offer

In a separate statement titled “Why ASUU rejects government’s award of salary”, Prof. Osodeke explained that:

• The government’s offer was miserable and inadequate.

• The excuse of low revenue was not tenable.

• Poor economic management, wasteful spending and revenue leakages were major contributors to the crisis.

ASUU insisted that the Federal Government should return to the earlier 2009 FGN/ASUU renegotiation framework, which took over five years to prepare.

ASUU Accuses FG of Deliberate Delay

The union accused the Federal Government of encouraging the strike to linger through indifference and delayed responses.

ASUU revealed that the first renegotiated draft agreement was submitted as far back as May 2021, but the official response from the government came nearly one year later.

It also criticised the manner in which the recommendations of the Prof. Nimi Briggs-led committee were presented, describing it as a “take-it-or-leave-it” approach.

Minister Says Only ASUU Is Still Holding Out

Speaking during a ministerial media briefing at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, the Minister of Education stated that:

• Five other university-based unions had accepted the Federal Government’s offer.

• Only ASUU introduced additional conditions that the government could not accept.

He further stated that President Muhammadu Buhari had flatly rejected the demand to pay lecturers for the strike period.

According to the minister, ASUU’s insistence on payment for the six-month strike period remains the only unresolved issue.

FG Says Students Can Sue ASUU

Adamu also argued that students who suffered losses during the strike should take ASUU and other unions to court to claim compensation.

However, the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) rejected this position.

The President said ASUU is neither:

• The proprietor of universities, nor

• The beneficiary of the school fees paid by students.

FG Admits UTAS Performed Better Than IPPIS

The minister also confirmed that ASUU’s proposed payment platform, UTAS, performed better than the government’s IPPIS during technical tests.

However, he clarified that UTAS has not yet been approved, adding that the government plans to integrate lecturers’ peculiarities into whichever platform is finally adopted.

Mediation Efforts Begin

Meanwhile, the Royal Commonwealth Society has offered to mediate between ASUU and the Federal Government through what it described as academic diplomacy.

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Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Why is ASUU refusing to call off the strike?

ASUU says it will not suspend the strike until the Federal Government pays the salary arrears owed to lecturers for the months spent on strike.

Will lecturers make up for the lost six months after the strike?

No. ASUU has stated clearly that if the government fails to pay the withheld salaries, lecturers will not teach the backlog of courses and will not conduct examinations for the affected period.

What is the main disagreement between ASUU and the Federal Government now?

The major unresolved issue is ASUU’s demand that lecturers should be paid for the period of the strike, which the Federal Government has refused.

Has the government reached agreement with other university unions?

Yes. According to the Minister of Education, five other university-based unions have accepted the government’s offer, and only ASUU remains undecided.

Can Nigerian students really sue ASUU over the strike?

The Minister suggested that students could take ASUU to court.
However, NANS has rejected this idea, stating that ASUU is neither the owner of universities nor the recipient of students’ school fees, and therefore should not be held responsible.