In addition, the university lecturers declared that if the Federal Government did not pay for the "time of strike," they would not resume teaching to make up for the six months they had been on strike.
In reaction to the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, saying that the Federal Government will not give in to ASUU's requests for the backlog of pay withheld during the period, the union's national president, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, revealed this to The PUNCH.
According to The PUNCH, ASUU began a one-month warning strike on February 14. But over the previous six months, the union has repeatedly prolonged the strike.
Later, other organizations shut down public universities across the country, including the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, Non-Academic Staff Union of Allied and Educational Institutions, and National Association of Academic Technologists.
Adamu had already informed reporters from the State House on Thursday that the government would not pay the lecturers during their strike.
Osodeke responded to the government's stance by saying, "He's joking. We won't teach those students if they don't pay; we also won't make up that time. A new session will begin in 2022 or 2023. Exams won't be given; instead, the entire class will begin anew. Lecturers are not medical professionals who can restore life after it has expired. For lecturers, we may pick up where we left off and continue to impart knowledge while making up for missed time. However, if they don't pay, we won't make up the lost time for them. We won't return to finish up backlogs; instead, schools will begin a new term in 2022–2023 instead. Exams and the missed time won't be covered in class.
If they want to practice "no work, no money," he said, "we will also practice "no pay, no work." We won't teach the backlog if they won't pay the bill. Unlike other workers, we are unique. He has no idea of what he is saying.
FG's offer is dismal.
Osodeke stated in a statement on Thursday that the government's offer was inadequate as to why the meeting with them had failed to end the ongoing strike.
He revealed that the union, acting in good faith, requested that the Federal Government, acting through the ministry of education, revisit the New Draft Agreement of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Renegotiation Committee, the work of which extended a total of five and a half years.
Source: PUNCH NEWS
