ASUU, Others Kick Over Half Salary, To Meet Soon On Next Steps
BY EDMOND ODOK – Piqued by the Federal Government decision to pay only half salary to its members, the national leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) is seriously considering available options to effectively address the challenge.
Accordingly, the Union says it would soon convene an Executive Council meeting to take appropriate steps regarding the unhealthy development.
ASUU National President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, who dropped the hint while reacting to the payment, said the Union members have no cause to worry as the contentious issue would be addressed and resolved in their favour.
Speaking on Thursday night against the backdrop of what he termed breach of trust by the government, Osodeke noted that the University lecturers. who recently suspended their eighth months old strike, were stunned after receiving payment alerts indicating they were only paid for 17 days in October.
He expressed disappointment at the development, noting that the government was acting against good conscience and the goodwill demonstrated by its members towards the stakeholders who had intervened to resolve the education crisis.
Cautioning that the government is again pushing ASUU to the wall, Prof Osodeke said; “Yes, we were paid half salary for October and that is not what we expected.”
However, the ASUU President maintained that as an organised union, we are meeting soon to deliberate on the issue and take appropriate actions”.
As the news broke yesterday on the half salary payment, other unions within the nation’s University system were not left out in expressing anger against the government’s action.
Feelers from the non-teaching staff, operating on the platform the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, (SSANU), the National Association of Academic Technologists (NAAT) and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Universities and Allied Educational Institutions (NASU) are also indicate that anger is already boiling over the government’s decision with the respective leadership seriously considering their next line of action.
Forefront Online reliably gathered that the Joint Action Committee of the unions have already scheduled a meeting that may likely hold this weekend to chart the way forward if the government remains adamant in its position.
