Below is the Latest update on the ASUU strike news today Wednesday, 16 November 2022

Why FG is not interested in funding public universities – ASUU

ASUU has said that the Federal Government is not interested in funding public universities in the country.

The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, on Tuesday, accused the Federal Government of not being interested in funding public universities in the country.

IDOMA VOICE reports that the union said the federal government is deliberately under-funding the universities through the guise of no money, to subsequently introduce exorbitant school fees beyond the reach of the children of the masses, and ultimately privatize these universities to themselves.

Chairperson of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, branch, Ibrahim Inuwa, stated this at a press conference held at the ASUU Secretariat, ATBU, shortly after staging a peaceful protest on Tuesday.

The Union held a congress, after which they staged the protest from their secretariat and marched to the main ATBU gate and back to their starting point, DAILY POST reports.

Half-Salary: ASUU declares lecture-free day, plans protest

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has concluded plans to embark on a one-day nationwide protest over the Federal Government’s decision to implement a “no-work, no-pay” policy for lecturers in the country.

According to The Punch, the protest will be organised at various branches of the union across public university campuses nationwide and it will double as a lecture-free day for all lecturers who are members.

This was disclosed to the paper by a member of the National Executive Council of the union on Sunday, November 13, 2022.

The source said: “We are protesting. Branches will choose their own dates, the government needs to understand that we are not casual workers.”

Half Salaries: Stop provoking ASUU members – Falana tells FG

Paying ASUU Half Salaries For Exercising Their Human Right Is Unlawful – SERAP Writes Buhari

SERAP has urged President Muhammadu Buhari to “direct Chris Ngige, and Sylva Okolie Aboh to immediately reverse the illegal deductions from the salaries of members of ASUU for October 2022.

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project, SEPAP, has said it is unlawful for the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and the acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh to have paid half-salaries to members of ASUU for the month of October 2022.

It also urged President Muhammadu Buhari to direct the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, and the acting Accountant General of the Federation, Sylva Okolieaboh to immediately reverse the apparently illegal deductions from the salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities for October 2022.

SERAP is also urging the President to “direct Ngige and Mr Okolieaboh to pay ASUU members full salaries for the duration of their strike action.”

The Federal Government recently allegedly paid half-salaries to members of ASUU for the month of October, 2022. Some professors reportedly received salaries ranging from N71,000 to N121,000 for October.

ASUU Decides On Shutting Down Universities Again

ASUU will decide on shutting down universities again in Nigeria over FG half salary payment.

IDOMA VOICE reports that barely one month after the Academic Staff Union of Staff Universities, ASUU, suspended its 8-month industrial action, the union and the Federal Government are back on a warpath again.

This online news already reported that the National Executive Council of the ASUU is set to meet on Monday (tomorrow) to decide whether to embark on another strike or not.

The meeting, which is expected to be held at the University of Abuja campus, comes on the heels of the October salary cut received by members of the union, weeks after suspending the prolonged industrial action.

IDOMA VOICE recalls that ASUU had on February 14, 2023, shut down both State and Federal government-owned universities over previous agreements yet to be implemented by the government.

FG Reveals Why It Paid University Lecturers, ASUU Half Salaries

FG has revealed why it paid University Lecturers and ASUU half salaries.

IDOMA VOICE reports that the Federal Government on Saturday explained why it failed to pay full salaries to lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

In a statement made available to NewsOnline Nigeria by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, the government noted that members of ASUU were paid their October salary pro-rata.

According to the ministry, pro-rata was done because they cannot be paid for work not done.

The statement further clarified that the Honourable Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, never directed the Accountant General of the Federation to pay the university lecturers half their salaries.

The statement reads in part, “Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, asking ASUU to go back to work, the leadership of the union wrote to the Minister, informing him that they have suspended the strike. The Federal Ministry of Education wrote to him in a similar vein and our labour inspectors in various states also confirmed that they have resumed work.

“So, the Minister wrote to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, directing that their salaries should be restored. They were paid in pro-rata for the number of days that they worked in October, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action. Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.”

ASUU Kicks, To Hold NEC Meeting Over Half-Salary

ASUU may be going for another showdown with the Federal Government over half salaries paid to its members for October 2022.

There are indications that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, may go on another strike following the alleged payment of half salaries to the lecturers for the month of October 2022, by the Federal Government.

As a result, the resumption of academic activities in the nation’s universities may become truncated once again as the union is set to summon an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council (NEC).

ASUU recently suspended its eight months of industrial action following interventions from the Court of Appeal, which upheld an earlier decision from the National Industrial Court, NIC.

No date has been fixed yet, but sources said that the decision to convene a meeting followed the surprise that greeted members of the union when some of them got an alert of half salaries in their accounts for the month of October 2022.