Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) Plateau State University (PLASU) chapter has described the threat by the state government to commence the implementation of ‘no- work-no pay’ policy against its members as ill advised.
The chairman of the union and secretary, Dr Monday Hassan Zitta and comrade Deme S. Bitrus respectively in a press statement issued to newsmen after the union’s congress meeting held in Jos yesterday, said the union was in receipt of the government’s letter written to the branch and have deliberated on the ill advised directive given by the state government to apply no- work -no pay rule for members of the union.
They reminded the state government that the initial stands of ASUU was that the fate of education in the entire country must be critically addressed before issues at the branches are tackled.
According to them ” We wish to draw the attention of the state government that Plateau State University cannot thrive in isolation, it needs the support of the universities within and outside the country in the same way that all universities in the world collaborate with each other.”
They also reminded the state government that during the negotiation, the representatives of the government were reminded that the issues at the national level affects all public universities in Nigeria and as such the strike by lecturers in Plateau State University is the same strike that every lecturer in every public Nigerian university is embarking upon to ensure that no public university in Nigeria finds itself at a difficult end saying there is no federal ASUU or State ASUU.
“There is only one ASUU demanding that the government should act responsibly in ensuring quality education in the country,” they said.
According to them, there are many challenges facing Plateau State University which are more than the challenges facing many public universities in Nigeria.
They argued that without the sacrifices made by ASUU, no department in the state university will come close to passing the accreditation tests and that the National Universities Commission would have since closed down the institution.
According to them, the state government has not offered sponsorship both local and international to any academic staff of the institution, as they have to rely on Tetfund, Needs assessment or their mega salaries to train themselves.
