The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has come out to prove that the media reports alleging partiality in the payment of salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is incorrect.
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| Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) during one of their meetings with the Federal Government of Nigeria represented by Femi Gbajabiamila, who is the Speaker of the House of Representatives of Nigeria |
ASUU claims its members were paid half their salaries for the month of October, this has also been tagged false by the Ministry.
Olajide Oshundun, Head of Press and Public Relations, the Labour Ministry, in a press statement, described both reports as seriously misleading, inaccurate and barfaced distortion of facts.
The statement clarified that members of ASUU “were paid in pro-rata” and not half their salaries as reported widely by the media.
According to the Ministry, members of ASUU “were paid in pro-rata” in the month of October, meaning they received their salaries based on “the number of days they worked”.
Senator Chris Ngige, who is the Minister of Labour and Employment did not direct the Accountant General of the Federation to pay the University lecturers half of their salaries, the statement says.
Part of the statement reads: “Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN), asking ASUU to go back to work, the leadership of the union wrote to the Minister, informing him that they have suspended the strike. The Federal Ministry of Education wrote to him in a similar vein and our labour inspectors in various states also confirmed that they have resumed work.
“So, the Minister wrote to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, directing that their salaries should be restored. They were paid in pro rata to the number of days that they worked in October, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action. Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.”
The Ministry also frowned at a statement by ASUU Chairperson, Usman Dan Fodio University, Sokoto (UDUS) Branch, Muhammed N. Al-Mustapha, faulting the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, of being partial in the payment of salaries of selected professional members of the Union.
However, the Ministry explained that, the ‘No work, No pay’ rule was activated in the payment of salaries to members of ASUU, and that those “paid seven months of their withheld salaries from March to September were members of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association (MDCAN)”.
The Ministry did not fail to give the reason why it made the decision, saying that, the professionals “abstained from the eight-month strike of ASUU because they abhorred the incessant strikes by the union”.
The Ministry said, “Those obviously being referred to by the UDUS ASUU chairperson were members of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association (MDCAN) who abstained from the eight-month strike of ASUU because they abhorred the incessant strikes by the union and its grave effects on medical education in Nigeria and production of more medical doctors.
“Accusing the Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, of biased payment of salaries to selected professional members of ASUU, is a barefaced distortion of facts. Mustapha said he received information that a segment of the staff in the College of Health Sciences (CHS) has been paid seven months of their withheld salaries from March to September, due to a letter written to the Minister of Finance, instructing the exemption of the under-listed staff on the application of ‘No Work, No Pay’ rule
“To set the records straight, the medical lecturers who are being referred to by the Chairperson of the ASUU UDUS branch, abstained from the eight-month strike of ASUU. This has been corroborated in a press statement by the Chairman, MDCAN UdUS, Dr B. Jubrin and Secretary, Dr I. G Ango, on Friday, November 4, 2022.”
