The federal government, said that it has no plans to back down on its no work – no pay rule which was set as a penalty for the ongoing strike by university lecturers.
The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, made this known while speaking during a programme on Channels TV on Wednesday night, where he revealed that there has been an appeal for the government to consider going back on the policy or reaching a compromise concerning it.
“The Federal Government is not rescinding the no work- no pay decision. The Federal Government has taken the decision that it will not pay whoever goes on strike. If they call the strike off today, they will be losing 7 months of pay,” Adamu said.
Adamu also noted that the government’s decision will motivate lecturers to get back to the classroom rather than worsen the ongoing negations.
He said Nigerians should commend the Federal Government’s intervention in the ongoing strike and not only heap blame on the FG instead of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
“Nigerians should also blame ASUU members and not only the federal government for this prolonged strike.
Adamu further added that anyone who is disappointed with the way the government is handling the issue is probably not informed about how much efforts they are making, saying they made the best possible offer to the striking union.
Adamu provided some detail on the offer made by the FG to the union with regards to the proposed salary increment, explaining that the new salary package would be reflected in the 2023 budget, as such, would not be paid immediately.