The Federal Government has on Saturday issued a directive to Vice-Chancellors of public universities as well as inter-varsity centres, to stop payment of all lecturers who are on strike and have neglected their duties. The directive, which was contained in a memo issued to universities and inter-varsity centres by the National Universities Commission (NUC), was signed by the Director, Research, Information and Technology, Dr S.B. Ramon-Yusuf.
The memo read in part, “In view of the current Industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the Federal Government has directed that there shall be no payment of any form of salaries and allowances to the staff on strike in federal and inter-varsity centres.
“Consequently, I am to direct vice-chancellors to apply the “No-work-no-pay” rule. However, universities and inter-varsity centres are to pay salaries and allowances to non-teaching staff. All Vice-Chancellors and Directors of Centers should note that the salaries to staff on strike from whatever source of funds shall be viewed as violation of extant rules and directive of the Federal Government of Nigeria”.
It will be recalled that ASUU had on November 5th embarked on a nationwide industrial action to show its disapproval on matters bordering on welfare of its members, infrastructure and non-implementation of some agreements made to the union by the federal government.
Meanwhile, the chairman, Senate Committee on Tertiary Education, Senator Jibrin Barau, on Friday, during an inspection of projects by the committee at the University of Lagos said efforts were being made by the government to hastily meet the demands of the striking university lecturers.
