On Thursday the Chairman of the Academic Staff Union, Federal University Wukari, Joe Ikwebe, has expressed dissatisfaction over the federal government’s inability to settle staff salaries after eight months of strike action by the lecturers.
Ikwebe made his position known at a press conference held at the University premises in Wukari local government council of the state.
He said, “it is unfair for members of our union to bear the brunt of the failure of the federal government, the union did not go on strike because we were happy to go on strike but because the government failed to honour an agreement it willingly signed with the union’.
He asked that the Union not be punished for the government’s ineptitude and insincerity, adding that the strike in itself was foisted on the union by the government,
”It is, therefore, illogical and illegal for the government to withhold our members’ salaries for protesting against ill-treatment.
He said the revelations made by the Nimi-Briggs committee, underscore the level of the insincerity of government and the depth of lies and half-truths they have been dishing out to Nigerians.”
The chairman said the strike was suspended because of the patriotism and responsibility of the union in obedience to the order of the court of Appeal providing a window of opportunity for the government to sort out the issues at stake.
Joe said it is criminal and most insensitive, insulting, demeaning, and illegal for the federal government to casualize academics.
He said the recent protest is to let the whole nation know that ASUU vehemently condemns the casualization of Academics in its entirety.
He opined that the university academic environment is unlike the mainstream civil service and that the no work, no pay policy of the government cannot be implemented.
Joe disclosed that there are institutions in the country that have been on strike for several months due to industrial disputes with the federal government and their salaries were never stopped.
It would be recalled that the union had earlier held a peaceful protest where it presented its letter to the representative of the vice-chancellor of the institution.
