Kufre George
In a related development, the Federal Government has explained the rationale behind the payment of half salaries to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
In a statement, the Federal Government said ASUU members were paid their October salary pro-rata, noting that they cannot be paid for work not done.
Spokesman of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Olajide Oshundun, also dismissed media reports that the government was biased in paying the lecturers.
According to him,the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, never directed the Accountant General of the Federation to pay the university lecturers half salary.
The ministry equally faulted a statement by the Chairperson of ASUU, Usman Danfodiyo University of Sokoto branch, Muhammad Al-Mustapha, accusing Ngige of biased payment of salaries to selected professional members of the union.
However, President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration had vowed to invoke the no work, no pay policy on the aggrieved lecturers who had pressed home for a better welfare package for their members.
