The Federal Government has provided an explanation for why it did not pay lecturers employed by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) their full salary.
The Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment issued a statement, on Saturday, November 5, noting that ASUU members had received a pro-rata payment of their October salaries.
According to the statement, pro-rata was used since it is impossible to pay for work that has not been completed.
The statement went on to say that Chris Ngige, the honourable minister of labour and employment, never gave the Accountant General of the Federation instructions to pay university professors half wage.
The statement reads in part, “Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, asking ASUU to go back to work, the leadership of the union wrote to the Minister, informing him that they have suspended the strike. The Federal Ministry of Education wrote to him in a similar vein and our labour inspectors in various states also confirmed that they have resumed work.
“So, the Minister wrote to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, directing that their salaries should be restored. They were paid in pro-rata for the number of days that they worked in October, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action. Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.”
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