The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected the Federal Government’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ directive, insisting that the union will not be intimidated by threats.
ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna, stated this on Monday while speaking as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
Piwuna said the union remained united and would not succumb to what he described as the government’s attempt to divide the academic community.
“We don’t respond to threats, and nobody can threaten us,” he said.
The ASUU president accused the government of trying to create divisions among academic unions by reaching out to some of them individually.
“He is threatening us, writing to NAMDA and CONUA, telling them they can get their salaries. He wants to divide us, but we are united in this matter.
CONUA is with us, NAMDA is with us, SSANU is with us, NASU is with us. The polytechnics and colleges of education are also with us,” Piwuna stated.
He advised the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, to focus on resolving the dispute rather than issuing threats.
“He had better sit down and solve this problem, or he will fail in trying to divide us,” he warned.
Piwuna, however, expressed ASUU’s readiness for dialogue, saying the union had received signals from the Ministry of Labour about fresh talks.
“Today, I received a call from the Minister of State for Labour. She said she has been directed to intervene and get this matter resolved. ASUU is willing. We are ready and available to discuss this matter once and for all,” he added.
