ASUU Latest: No Resumption Until FG Pays Withheld Salaries

ASUU Latest: No Resumption Until FG Pays Withheld Salaries.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Sunday stated that to end the strike it embarked the government should pay all the salaries of its members it withheld.

Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi, President of ASUU, in a telephone interview with our correspondent in Lagos, said government should not expect the lecturers to resume without paying the withheld salaries.

Meanwhile, recall that there were reports on November 27 that the union had agreed to end its strike following the Federal Government’s promise to release N70bn to ASUU as earned allowance.

But Ogunyemi on Sunday explained that the members were still consulting and at the same time waiting for the government to fulfill its promise of releasing members’ withheld salaries.

 “We are still consulting; we have not finished consultation, by the end of this week we shall make our report public. There are promises government made with dates. Government promised to release salaries of our members. The withheld salaries have not been paid and we need to have information on that. Government should not expect us to resume without releasing our salaries.”

He emphasized that once the timeline expired this week without the salaries being paid, the union would take a final decision.

“I can’t vouch for anything about resumption, but my members will determine that. The only thing I know is that payment of withheld salaries can smoothen the process and that is what we have told the government. It will aid the final decision.

“The government gave a timeline and we are monitoring, once the timeline expires this week, our members will take a final decision. If they pay the withheld salaries, it will make the process easier to handle.”