The Federal Government has fired a stern warning to striking lecturers under the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), threatening to invoke the “no work, no pay” policy if academic activities are disrupted due to the union’s action.
In a statement released on Sunday by the Federal Ministry of Education, the Minister of Education, Maruf Tunji Alausa, and the Minister of State for Education, Suwaiba Sai’d Ahmed, reiterated the commitment of the government to resolving ASUU’s grievances through dialogue.
“The Federal Government has demonstrated demonstrable sincerity, patience, and goodwill in its dialogue with the Union,” the statement read.
The ministers stated that most of the concerns of ASUU, such as increased teaching allowances and improved conditions of service, have been addressed. Other issues, they said, fall under the jurisdiction of university governing councils, which have been reconstituted to handle them.
“Despite these efforts, ASUU has opted for strike action. This action does not reflect a spirit of cooperation or fairness to the students and the public,” the ministers stated, adding that the government had met its deadline for presenting its position.
They added that under Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the government emphasised its priority to maintain academic stability.
“The ‘no work, no pay’ policy remains an extant labour law of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, and the government will be guided by this law should academic activities be disrupted.”
The government appealed to ASUU to reconsider its stance and return to dialogue, stressing that “government remains open to engagement at any level to prevent unnecessary disruption in the education sector.”
