The Minister of State for Education, Emeka Nwajiuba, has said it doesn’t make sense for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities to continue to earn salaries while on strike.

The PUNCH reports that ASUU began one month warning strike on February 14, 2022 and since then has not suspended its industrial action.

Speaking to The PUNCH in a telephone interview on Sunday, Nwajiuba said, “The lecturers have continued to earn salaries while on strike; it doesn’t make sense to earn salaries when you have refused to work.

“If you refuse to even pay them, by the time they call off the strike, they will still come back to fight for the payment of the period they refused to work.

“You can air your grievances, come to the negotiation table without refusing to work. The issue of the strike has become a thing of concern. I have four children; two have graduated while the other two are still in public universities. I feel for them, I feel for other students who are at home. I feel the same way other parents feel, but can I bring money from my house and give it to ASUU?

“The Ministry of Education isn’t the employer of the lecturers, we are a supervisory body, and there is no way we can fire or hire someone. Universities have governing councils that supervise the activities that go on, our job as in the ministry is to supervise, we can’t meddle in.

“On the issue of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, I am also paid via the IPPIS, it is owned by the government, there is no way you can tell the government to throw away its platform and pay you with another platform.”


Meanwhile, the President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Mohammed Ibrahim, has accused the Federal Government of focusing on frivolous things and neglecting the education sector and the youths.

Speaking during the 2022 May Day celebration in Abuja on Sunday, Ibrahim said the universities were forced to shut down due to government insincerity, adding that the standard of education had continued to go down.

He stated, “Our universities have been forced to shut down due to the insincerity of the government to keep to its promises. The standard of education continues to go down due to the insensitivity of the government and the inability to provide a good teaching, learning and work environment through lack of basic facilities that will make them compete favourably with their peers in other parts of the world.


“The morale of university workers is dampened by the poor pay package and the government appears to be paying lip service to education. It is very clear that government pays more attention to frivolous things and has neglected youths that are said to be the leaders of tomorrow.’’

The SSANU President lamented the condition of Nigerian workers whom he said were going through perilous times in form of insecurity, economic hardship and other challenges.

He noted, “This year’s Workers Day comes when Nigerian workers are passing through perilous and dangerous times. Nigerian workers and indeed members of our great union are confronted with diverse challenges like rising spate of armed banditry, kidnappings, insurgency, economic hardship and worst of all, the inability of the government to keep to agreements it entered into with all the university-based unions in 2009.

“Our members have been denied payment of new Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustment arrears and backlog of earned allowances in addition to other violations of our rights and privileges. Our universities have been forced to shut down due to the insincerity of the government to keep to its promises.”


He admonished the government to resolve the ongoing strike by university workers and also tackle the challenges facing the country.

“Toying with the future of our children will spell doom for our dear country. I call on the government to look into the demands of all the university-based unions and take urgent steps to address them so that our children will go back to school,’’ the union urged.

Source: https://punchng.com/Striking-ASUU-members-shouldnt-be-paid-Education-minister

Aswear.
When they are ready for their salaries, they will resume

ASUU will be feeling like another tier of government

Rubbish people

And this so called minister could afford a hundred million naira for presidential primary form.

I think it’s time we should start owing the elective and appointed politicians theirs salaries and emoluments so that they too will feel the pains.

This guyman minister is promising to be a failure if elected as a president.

Hmm, Igbos

I don't like ASUU in anyway, they fight only for their interest and nothing more. They should stop paying their selfish arshhh

I just understand why Buhari called Nigeria youths, lazy youth.
How come our youths has power to protest during END SARS and you can't use the same strength to protest against your leaders toying with your future.



#I_STAND_WITH_ASUU

ASUU has always been selfish and inconsiderate. A body representing scholars yet their only achievements is being known only for strikes.
Imagine we had ASUU kind of leadership in NLC . The economy would have worsened to a state of emergency . Yes that's what they are doing to education, worsening it .

the bastard children dey schools abroad oo. .I really pity Nija students. Private uni are cashing out

Ogah oh

So if the government ignore ASUU fight, na so they go later, shamelessly call off and waste students time for nothing...
This ASUU/FG sef, I am not understanding anymore...

This is the same person that wants to contest for presidency, yet has no empathy for ASUU's problems.

Has anyone asked him how he got the funds to buy the 100 million naira form ... Since he's not a politician (we know that all politicians stole theirs.)

Chai! Students are the ones to bear the brunt of their stupid disagreements

Why I would tell you to forget and stop waiting for Government jobs

Key into businesses, the money a good business will pay you in 5-7 years would be 10 times better than your govt job retirement pay

Wise people go into businesses and stop wasting their time with the Govt

Why?

Very useless misfit in govt.

Mad minister. Both minister of state & minister for are dumb than their president.
The other short goat wan be president.
An insult to INEC.
INEC sef no get life.
Is ASUU fighting a right course? Yes.
The strike ll go on till after election next year.
Nigeria's destiny has been used by Britain.

Kyase:
Aswear.
When they are ready for their salaries, they will resume

ASUU will be feeling like another tier of government

Rubbish people

It will only worsen it . This is not the first time they are going on strike without pay.
I wonder why senators and house of reps don’t have this kind of issues.

Was he not the one who purchased the APC 100m form to contest the presidency?

Yeye dey smell.

OYO is ur case

Fake minister!

You shouldn't be in that position. When NANS visited this man, you won't believe he walked out on then without anyone calling him to order. As a minister of Education, who's your number 1 interest if not the students?


Don't pay the striking lecturers but you, with nothing to show for your ministry should continue to be paid?

Please how do I block someone from following me on nairaland. ??
I do not want that

A foolish talk from a foolish man.

Like Buhari like his appointees.

Presidential aspirant talking nonsense

Hmmm! You just won the presidential election.

Our in- coming president has spoken.

Spoken by the limit of his small brain.

I still insist, if it were to be NMA, will the government maintain the same position?