ASUU Flays Federal Govt Over Withheld Salaries, Unresolved Welfare Issues

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has accused the federal government of treating university lecturers like casual workers by continuing to withhold their salaries under the controversial “no work, no pay” policy.

The union said the action was demeaning to scholars and could worsen the crisis in the country’s university system.

ASUU Abuja zonal coordinator, Adam Al-Amin Abdullahi, spoke on the matter at a press conference in Abuja yesterday.

He lamented what he described as the distorted implementation and outright neglect of the December 2025 agreement reached between the federal government and ASUU.

Abdullahi said several welfare issues affecting lecturers had remained unresolved five months after the agreement was unveiled.

He listed the unresolved issues to include withheld three-and-a-half months’ salaries, promotion arrears, salary shortfalls caused by the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System, unremitted third-party deductions and unpaid arrears of the 25-35 per cent wage award.

He said, “Withholding university lecturers’ salaries on account of ‘no work, no pay’ is like reducing scholars to menial workers whose livelihood is calibrated in physical appearances at their worksite.”

The ASUU leader warned that no country could achieve meaningful progress while neglecting the welfare of its academics.

“We want to sound this clear, no country can progress when the welfare issues of its academics are left unattended,” he stated.

Abdullahi also accused some university administrators and governing councils of encouraging irregularities within the university system.

According to him, ASUU had fought several battles against unlawful appointments, alleged financial mismanagement and disregard for due process in tertiary institutions.

He further alleged that some vice-chancellors had made questionable appointments, such as “Professor of Practice” and “Diaspora Professors,” without the approval of university senates and governing councils.

He said the development had created loopholes for persons with questionable academic qualifications to rise within the university system.