Ignore Ngige, Pay Lecturers’ Full Salaries, Falana Tells Buhari

Counsel for the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Femi Falana, has called on President Muhammadu Buhari to pay the unions lecturers their full salaries.

In a statement on Sunday, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria asked Buhari to ignore the advice of the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and pay ASUU members complete salaries from February to October 2022.

The Federal Government recently allegedly paid half-salaries to members of ASUU for the month of October, 2022. Some professors reportedly received salaries ranging from N71,000 to N121,000 for October.

The statement cited on The Cable read, “Since the industrial action was called off, the public universities have adjusted their calendars to ensure that the 2021/2022 academic session is not cancelled. Consequently, students are currently taking lectures or writing examinations that were disrupted during the strike of the ASUU.

“Therefore, having regard to the facts and circumstances of the ASUU strike the doctrine of ‘no work, no pay’ is totally inapplicable as students who were not taught during the strike are currently attending lectures and writing examinations.

“Furthermore, it is public knowledge that the members of the Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors embarked on a strike that lasted two months last year.

“The federal government dragged the striking doctors to the national industrial court which ordered the NARD to call off the strike. As soon as the strike was called off, President Muhammadu Buhari jettisoned the ‘no work, no pay’ principle and ordered the payment of the salaries for the two months that the strike lasted.

“On that occasion, the President overruled Dr. Ngige in the interest of industrial harmony in the health sector.
In the same vein, the ASUU recently called off its 8-month old strike in compliance with the order of the national industrial court and the court of appeal.

“We are, therefore, compelled to call on President Buhari should ignore the advice of Dr. Ngige and direct the public universities to pay the full salary of each lecturer from February to October 2022.”