From Juliana Taiwo-Obalonye, Abuja
In spite of objections from the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on the pro-rata October salary payment, the federal government on Wednesday reaffirmed that the lecturers would not be paid for work they had not done.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, stated this while responding to questions from State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Responding to the allegation made by the President of ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodoke, suggesting that paying the lecturers on a pro-rata basis was a ploy to make them casual workers, Adamu said: “Nobody can make University lecturers casual workers.”
When told that the lecturers were threatening a one-day action to protest the government’s action, Adamu said he was not aware.
The union had called off its 8-month strike in October after the National Industrial Court ordered the lecturers to resume.
Adamu said: “the strike has been called off and the government has paid them what is due to them. I think that’s the position of the government; that it is not going to pay anyone for work not done and they only did, I think, the number of days that they were paid.
“How can anybody make a university lecturer a casual… Do you know the meaning of casual worker? If you know the meaning of the casual worker, it is impossible to make a university lecturer a casual worker”, he said.
Asked if the federal government would be willing to take steps to assuage the ASUU and stave off further hostilities, the Minister said “I don’t understand, is there any problem now?”.
Told they planned a work-free day, and he:said: “Oh? Okay, I’m not aware. I’m not aware. That they are going on strike? No, nobody has told me.
“So let’s wait till the work-free day comes, then I’ll find out the details and we’ll discuss, you can ask me then, but at the moment, I’m telling you honestly, I do not know that there is a problem”, he said.
Asked to shed light on the claim by the President of the ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodoke, that the union only had an agreement with the Minister of Education and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, not with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Adamu said “I cannot add any light on something that I did not know.
“And since they said they have no business with the Minister of … Did they show you the agreement? Well, I’m not aware that there’s any agreement between us,” he said.