ASUU Strike: Pro-Chancellors beg Buhari to increase salaries, rescind ‘No-work, No-pay’

Pro-Chancellors of Federal Universities have appealed to President Muhammadu Buhari to further increase the salaries of striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), as a show of good faith and part of the measures to end the over seven months lecturers’ industrial action.

In addition, they requested the president to rescind the government policy of ‘No-work, No-pay’, as it affects the university lecturers, in order to make it easier for them to return to the classrooms.

The Pro-Chancellors, led by Professor Nimi Briggs, who chaired one of the committees earlier set up by the Federal Government to resolve the ASUU imbroglio, used the opportunity of their meeting with the president on Friday at the State House, Abuja, to present their request.

President Buhari promised his visitors that he would engage in further consultations with relevant stakeholders, towards ending the protracted strike by ASUU, according to a statement issued by the Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Femi Adesina.

READ: Three things government must do to immediately end ASUU strike – Osodeke

Adesina quoted the president as saying, without prejudice to already established policy, “I will make further consultations, and I’ll get back to you.”

The Pro-Chancellors said they had come to meet with the President in three capacities: “As President and Commander-in-Chief, as father of the nation, and as Visitor to the Federal universities.”

Prof Briggs told President Buhari that despite the pall cast by the ASUU strike, “the future of university system in the country is good,” while citing as example the recent listing of the University of Ibadan among the first 1,000 universities in the world, a development he said was occurring for the first time.

According to Adesina, Briggs commended the Federal Government for concessions already made to the striking lecturers, including the offer to raise salaries by 23.5% across board, and 35% for Professors. He, however, asked for “further inching up of the salary, in view of the economic situation of the country,” the statement said.

The Pro-Chancellors also asked for a reconsideration of the ‘No-Work, No-Pay’ stance of government, promising that lecturers would make up for time lost as soon as an amicable resolution was reached, and schools reopened.