The federal government said Wednesday that despite objection by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), lecturers would not be paid for the period they were on strike.
Minister of Education, Mr Adamu Adamu, said this while fielding questions from State House correspondents at the end of the weekly Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting chaired by President Muhammadu Buhari.
“The strike has been called off and the government has paid them what is due to them. I think that’s the position of the government; that it is not going to pay anyone for work not done and they only did, I think, the number of days that they were paid,” he said.
The minister also dismissed the allegation that paying the lecturers on pro-rata basis was a ploy to make them casual workers.
“Nobody can make university lecturers casual workers. How can anybody make a university lecturer a casual. Do you know the meaning of casual worker? If you know the meaning of the casual worker, it is impossible to make a university lecturer a casual worker,” he said.
Asked if the federal government would be willing to take steps to assuage the ASUU and stave off further hostilities, the Minister said: “I don’t understand, is there any problem now?”.
Told they planned work-free-day, he said “Oh? Okay, I’m not aware. I’m not aware. That they are going on strike? No, nobody has told me.
“So let’s wait till the work-free-day comes, then I’ll find out the details and we’ll discuss, you can ask me then, but at the moment, I’m telling you honestly, I do not know that there is a problem”, he said.
