The Academic Staff Union of Universities has pointed fingers at the Minister of Labour and Employment , Dr. Chris Ngige, saying he was being economical with the truth over his claims that the union would soon call off its strike.
ASUU said it had no intention yet to call off the strike, as efforts to address the contentious issues were in progress.
Members of ASUU had embarked on an indefinite strike on March 23 over the failure of the Federal Government to honour its 2019 agreement. But Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige, while featuring on a television programme on Channels TV on Tuesday, said that the Ministries of Finance, Education, Labour and Employment and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation would meet with ASUU.
The Coordinator of ASUU, Lagos Zone, Prof Olusiji Sowande, said Ngige was being “economical with the truth by misinforming the public that government has been paying the salaries of members of our union to date.”
Sowande also opened up, saying the Federal Government only paid salaries up to June, insisting that lecturers are still being owed three month salaries.
He said in some universities, ASUU members had not received salary for six months.
The statement reads in part,
“As of today our members are being owed three months salaries while in some universities our members have not received salary for six months.“In addition, the government through the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation have criminally withheld five months (February-June, 2020) Check-Off deducted from our members’ salaries.
“We are therefore surprised that MoL&E could go on air to present information which he has not verified as truth to the unsuspecting public.“The ongoing total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action by our union will continue if this propaganda and lies against ASUU persists.”
