Buhari angry over varsity lecturers grumbling on 6 months’ withheld salaries

President was shocked that varsity lecturers have reduced their demands to only the payment of their six months’ salary arrears.

President Muhammadu Buhari opted to invoke the no work, no pay policy against striking university lecturers on Thursday after receiving the status report on the negotiation with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) from Education Minister Adamu Adamu.

Buhari was also said to have been angry that the lecturers were still grumbling after the government accepted to increase the salary of professors by 35 per cent and other lecturers by 27 per cent.

Government itself drew the ire of some Nigerians yesterday for its inability to resolve the dispute with ASUU while the President of the union, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke told the Federal Government to forget getting his colleagues back to the classrooms to conclude the unfinished academic sessions if their salary backlog of six months is not settled.

Investigation revealed that when the Minister of Education went to brief the President on the status of negotiation with ASUU, he had the impression that the striking lecturers were only after their salary arrears without caring about other demands.

A top source said: “Immediately Adamu presented a request for the payment of the salary arrears of the lecturers, the President said no. He couldn’t understand that the lecturers wasted the career of a young generation for six months.

“president buhari didn’t believe that all the lecturers wanted was salary arrears and not much of other demands, including the revitalisation of universities.

“president buhari was disturbed that the lecturers were not comfortable with 35% salary increase for professors and 27% pay increase for other lecturers.”

Another source said: “The President Buhariwas asking how students would get justice if the lecturers were paid their salary arrears for doing nothing.

“president buhari also got to know that four out of the five striking unions in the tertiary institutions have agreed to call off their strike except President Buhari has evidence to show that his administration has released huge funds to the universities among other reforms. He was not happy that ASUU was not reciprocating the positive strides.

“President buhari had directed the minister to invoke the no work, no pay law to enable the lecturers appreciate the enormity of the setback they have caused for the university system.”

Responding to a question, the source added: “Only God saved Adamu, the President would have removed him as minister.

“There had been intelligence report on Adamu that he has been indulging the ASUU leadership. In fact, varsity lecturers have always wanted to negotiate with him than the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige.”

Sources said once the minister read the mood of the President on Thursday, he wasted no time in obeying his directive.

“That was why Adamu chose the Presidential Villa to address the press on Thursday to announce the government’s position,” one source said.

“If government says no work, no pay, ASUU members will also begin lectures from the 2022/2023 session and forgo unfinished academic sessions lost during the strike,” Osodeke said on Channels Television in response to Thursday’s statement by Adamu that government would not pay the lecturers for work not done during their strike.

It was said that yesterday, that ASUU also rejected the increase of the pay of Chief Lecturers in Polytechnic and Colleges of Education by 35 per cent.

It was said to have queried the alleged unilateral increase by the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission instead of allowing the principle of collective bargaining between the Federal Government and the union.