Femi Falana has branded Chris Ngige the Minister of Labour and Productivity discriminatory following reports that the minister has singled out some lecturers of the Nnamdi Azikiwe University, UNIZIK, to be paid for the period Nigerian university lecturers, embarked on strike last year.
The Senior Advocate of Nigeria, SAN, was responding to a letter written to the Minister of Finance, Zainab Ahmed to approve payment for the lecturers’ salaries for the eight-month strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, last year.
Falana is counsel to ASUU.
The federal government has refused to pay ASUU for the eight-month strike period in compliance with its no-work-no-pay policy even though the lecturers have since gone back to work after a truce brokered by Femi Gbajabiamila, Speaker of the House of Representatives.
But in the letter written to the Minister of Finance, Ngige claimed that the UNIZIK lecturers worked during the period of the strike, as such must be paid their salaries.
According to TheCable, in the letter dated March 30, 2023, Ngige had asked Ahmed to approve the payment of withheld salaries of 204 lecturers, after available records proved that they worked throughout the period of the strike.
Ngige said this was further corroborated by the vice-chancellor of the institution as well as independent findings of the labour ministry’s state controller in Anambra.
“In view of the above, please direct the accountant-general of the federation to exempt the two hundred and four (204) lecturers of Nnamdi Azikiwe University, College of Health Sciences whose names are attached herewith from the application of Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act and be paid the outstanding arrears of their full salaries during the strike period from February 14, 2022 to date,” the letter read.
In his reaction, Falana said the action of Ngige contradicts the law, adding that the lecturers as members of ASUU took part in the 2022 strike.
He accused the minister of trying to favour the lecturers because they are from his state, adding that Ngige has been known for such discriminatory act.
Falana said, “Dr. Ngige has convinced the federal government not to pay ASUU members for embarking on strike in 2022. But he has decided to isolate his colleagues in his home state for special favour by causing their salaries to be paid for the period of the same strike.
“Dr. Ngige took a similar action when members of the National Association of Resident Doctors embarked on strike in 2021. The federal government paid the salaries of the resident doctors for the period of their strike.
“The actions of the minister run contrary to the provision of Section 42(1) of the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 and article 2 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights (Ratification and Enforcement) Act, Cap A9, laws of the Federation of Nigeria, 2004 which have prohibited any form of discrimination in the application of the law or policy of the government.”
