The federal government’s insistence that university lecturers who have been on strike over the past six months, will not be paid for the period, has stalled the negotiations between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, disclosed this to State House correspondents on Thursday during the weekly ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Communication Team, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
Adamu said all contentious issues between the government and ASUU had been settled except the group’s quest for members’ salaries for the period of the strike to be paid, a demand that President Muhammadu Buhari has objected to.
He stated that the President’s position had been communicated to the lecturers, who are being awaited to call off the strike.
The Minister explained that Buhari was intent on curbing the excesses of trade unions that want to be paid for work not done.
Adamu further disclosed that the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment system proposed by ASUU has outscored the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) already in use by the government and which the lecturers are kicking against.
