Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu ,Wednesday insisted that the ‘no work no pay’ policy was being applied following the latest payment of half salary to members of Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU)
He said the Federal Government cannot pay for work not done, directly justifying the pro rata payment effected by the government to ASUU members recently.
Adamu’s reaction followed the Federal Executive Council meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari on Wednesday, at the Presidential Villa Abuja, even as the academic staff boycotted lectures on Tuesday, nationwide in protest of the decision.
Asked if he was aware of an allegation from ASUU that the government was planning to casualise their appointment with the pro-rata payment,which elicited a boycott of lectures in universities,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; we are 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 casual worker, it is impossible to make a university lecturer a casual worker”.
Reporters also asked him if the federal government would be willing to take steps to pacify the varsity teachers and stave off further hostilities, the Minister said “I don’t understand, is there any problem now?”.
Reminded that lecturers planned work-free-day, the Minister 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.
The ASUU’s President, Prof. Emmanuel Osokode had stated that he had no business with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, rather the Union had a pact with the Minister of Education and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajiabiamila.
ASUU had suspended its eight months old strike after the National Industrial Court and Appeal Court compelled them to return to classrooms.
Executive members of ASUU insisted it yielded to the directive because of the intervention of the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajiabiamila.