ASUU Denies Awareness Of Payment Of Members Withheld Salaries 

ASUU Denies Awareness Of Payment Of Members Withheld Salaries

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities has stated that they are not aware of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to pay four out of eight months of salary arrears to its members.

The National Vice President of ASUU, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, made this statement during an interview with journalists.

The directive from Tinubu, which was reported on October 20, 2023, approved a partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” order that was put in place against the striking members of ASUU.

The strike lasted for eight months, starting from February 14, 2022, and ending on October 17, 2022.

Ajuri Ngelale, The President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, revealed in a statement that the waiver “will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary that were withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.”

The waiver granted by Tinubu was titled ‘President Tinubu approves partial waiver of the no work, no pay order on ASUU members; orders release of four months of withheld salary.’

He, Ngelale added that the President sought to “mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in the country, as well as his recognition of the faithful, Ajuri Ngelale implementation of terms that were agreed upon during the deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria.”

However, Piwuna expressed the lack of awareness within ASUU regarding this approval of the four-month salary arrears.

Nonetheless, Tinubu’s directive includes the requirement that the Ministries of Education and Labour and Employment secure a Document of Understanding, ensuring that this waiver will be the final one granted to ASUU and other education sector unions.

“We are not aware that the government has awarded money to anybody. We are not aware. As a union, we are not aware of that,” he declared.