THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Government’s directive enforcing the “No Work, No Pay” policy on striking lecturers, vowing that no amount of intimidation or coercion will force the union to back down.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Monday, ASUU President, Dr. Chris Piwuna monitored by News Point Nigeria, said the union remains resolute and will not yield to what he described as the government’s “divide-and-rule tactics” aimed at weakening the academic community’s collective voice.
“We don’t respond to threats, and nobody can threaten us,” Piwuna declared confidently, underscoring ASUU’s defiance in the face of the latest government pronouncement.
His comments came just 24 hours after the Federal Ministry of Education, through a circular signed by the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, directed vice-chancellors of federal universities to strictly enforce the No Work, No Pay rule, warning that salaries should be withheld for any academic staff who fail to perform their official duties during the strike period.
But Piwuna accused the Federal Government of deliberately trying to sow discord among academic unions by isolating some for preferential treatment.
“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,” Piwuna said.
“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.”
The ASUU leader warned that the government’s approach would backfire if it failed to prioritize meaningful dialogue over confrontation.
“He has got something coming. He had better sit down and solve this problem or he will fail in trying to divide us,” Piwuna stated.
According to him, ASUU remains open to negotiation and has never shut the door to peaceful resolution. He revealed that the Minister of State for Labour and Employment had already reached out to the union to mediate the crisis.
“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 said.
The ongoing warning strike, which began on October 13, was declared over issues including the renegotiation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, release of withheld salaries, revitalisation funding for public universities, and payment of promotion arrears.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Education has maintained that its directive is in line with extant labour laws, insisting that workers who fail to render services during strikes cannot lawfully be paid.
Despite this stance, ASUU’s latest remarks suggest that the lecturers are prepared for a long battle unless their long-standing demands are addressed.