FG refuses ASUU’s demand to pay backlog of salaries

The Federal Government on Thursday insisted that it will not cave-in to the demand of the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities to be paid the backlog of salaries withheld during the ongoing strike. It described the no-work-no-pay policy as the only hindrance in the negotiations between the Federal Government and ASUU.

The Minister of Education,  Adamu Adamu, stated this at the 47th session of the State House Ministerial Media Briefing conducted by the Presidential Communications Team at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja.

“All contentious issues between the government and ASUU had been settled except the quest for members’ salaries for the period of strike to be paid, a demand that Buhari has flatly rejected,” Adamu explained.

He claimed that ASUU went on strike despite the Buhari regime and agencies such as TETFUND and UBEC directly investing trillions of naira in education. Adamu also disclosed that five of the six striking university-based unions are likely to resume operations within the next one week, whereas ASUU’s remains uncertain.

According to him, the FG refused ASUU’s demand for the past five months because it believes that there should be penalties for their actions. He, however, said that consultations were still ongoing among ASUU members to determine when to call off the strike.