ASUU, FG Set To Lock Horns Again

The Academic Staff Union of University, ASUU, is set to lock horns with the federal government again barely a month after it called off its month-long strike.

The development is coming a few hours after the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu said he had failed to turn around the education sector.

The minister has been variously criticized for being among the federal government officials who allowed the ASUU strike to drag for too long.

The university teachers went back to work in October more than eight months after they abandoned their work in February this year due to a disagreement with the federal government over salaries and allowances.

But on Wednesday the union said the payment of half salary to the returnee lecturers for the month of October may force them to take another drastic action.

Speaking on the issue, the National Vice President of ASUU, Chris Piwuna, described the development as “insulting, humiliating and embarrassing” to the lecturers who have not received their salary for several months. Recall that Emmanuel Osodeke, the president of the union had last month said many lecturers were finding it difficult to go back to work because of lack of transportation fare.

The lecturers have now decided to withhold the results of their students if their salaries are not fully paid.

For instance, the Gombe State University chapter of ASUU, said it will withhold the examination results of students and will discontinue the supervision of undergraduates and postgraduates projects should the government fail to release the withheld salaries for members of the union for the period while they were on strike.

According to a statement signed by the branch chairman, Suleiman Jauro, the lecturers said they had no other option than to proceed on this line of action.

“The Congress of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Gombe State University branch, at its meeting held today, Wednesday 2nd November 2022, received the report of the engagements between the branch’s leadership and the University administration over the release of the withheld salaries.

“After exhaustive deliberations, the Congress, therefore, resolved that given the University administration’s refusal to release the August and September salaries, members shall not submit the results of the first Semester examination for the 2021/2022 session; Not continue with the supervision of both undergraduate and postgraduate projects allocated prior to the commencement of the strike action,” the statement said.

ASUU had agreed to return to work last month after a deal brokered by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila.