University of Jos has appealed to its ASUU Chapter to resume lectures after the lecturers threatened to suspend classes about pay.
This appeal was made by its vice-chancellor, Prof. Tanko Ishaya, in a news conference on Monday in Jos
The lecturers claim they were only paid 15 days’ salary by the federal government after ASUU had agreed with Reps that 50 percent of members’ eight months withheld salaries would be paid.
Prevent university education from collapse: Prof Ishaya told newsmen that the lecturers needed to return to lecture theatres to prevent university education from total collapse and urged the union to consider the needs of students and parents.
- “ASUU should please be considerate and compassionate with students and parents and return to the classroom. I appeal that it allows academic activities to go on while further negotiations with the government on payment of withheld salaries continue. We have asked these students to resume; it will be traumatic to ask them to return home again, having spent eight months at home already”.
He added that ASUU’s demands were legitimate for better education, and appealed to the federal government to address its demands and stop treating university lecturers like other civil servants.
- “I am not in support of the strike, but I’m appealing to the federal government to treat university workers differently when it comes to the implementation of the `no-work-no-pay’ policy.
- “The role of an academic is not only teaching but there is also research, community service and as one advances on the job, we also play administrative roles.
- “So, I am appealing to the federal government to understand that the academic environment is peculiar; it is not like normal civil service,’’ he said.
For the record: Nairametrics reported earlier that members of the Academic Staff Union Universities (ASUU), University of Jos Chapter, said they would not teach until their withheld salaries were paid.
- The UniJos ASUU Chapter noted that part of the agreement reached with the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, was that 50% of their withheld salaries would be paid with immediate effect. To this end, lecturers insisted they will not return to the class until those demands are met.
- “As we speak, only 17 days prorated October salary was paid to our members by the office of the Accountant General of the federation. Given the bottleneck on the payment of the backlog of salaries, the congress of ASUU at the University of Jos met and resolved to stay at home until the withheld salaries are paid.
Editing by Cees Harmon
