ASUU STRIKE: UNIABUJA Vice Chancellor Message on 'NO WORK NO PAY' POLICY

Jun 2, 2024 - 13:30

ASUU STRIKE: UNIABUJA Vice Chancellor Message on 'NO WORK NO PAY' POLICY

The University of Abuja management released a circular that all academic staff must sign, and those not teaching must return to their lectures in the enforcement of 'No Work no Pay' policy of government.

The primary goal of the circular is for it to serve as a warning that failure to return to work despite repeated negotiations and appeals are no longer acceptable. It is morally bankrupt for people to expect to be paid salary for work they have not done.

Yes, since releasing the circular, I have been inundated by so many calls by virtually every person appealing that the University withdraws this circular.

My dear Staff, it is not about withdrawing or not withdrawing the circular, it is about certain academic staff punishing our dear students due to no fault of theirs. How would delaying graduation of our dear students or extending academic calendar a solution to the five issues presented by ASUU?

On virtually every item we discussed, management has shifted ground, even the issue of promotion of staff we have agreed to delay this year’s process until the Governing Council is in place. As regards the advertisement of the Vice- Chancellor position, we agreed that since it was from the Minister of Education, and it has also already closed, no further processing will be done until the Governing Council comes, and meanwhile applicants who still bring their applications after the deadline would be so indicated but not turned away.

Regarding Microfinance bank, Management reintegrated its approval of one person to represent Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on the Board of the UniAbuja Microfinance Bank and asked ASUU to, as a matter of urgency send its representative to Management for onward transmission to the Board to incorporate such member on the board.

On Promotion, it was agreed to hold on the 2023/2024 Promotion until Council is in place, while the earlier promotion exercises that are already ongoing are completed. As for Deanship election, Management agreed to hold all the remaining deanship elections within 2 to 3 Days of ASUU calling off the strike.

On the matter of the recruitment, management went into the details of the legality of the recruitment and agreed to submit all those recruited to the Governing Council for ratification.

The truth, my dear staff, is that the Federal government is in the process of inaugurating the new Council, all these matters are therefore in the process of final resolution since Council would immediately delve into each of this and take decisions for the University.

I hope that in the interest of our dear students, this strike would be called off, while all the processes of implementing all our understanding continue. It is not true in any way that Management wants to make life difficult for academic staff by enforcing the 'No Work no Pay' policy, what is true is that despite repeated goodwill and offer of negotiations and after conceding lots of grounds by Management, ASUU does not show any readiness to also compromise in the interest of our dear students.

I am ready to temporarily pull the register but with the expectation that all those calling me and some peace-loving ASUU members/UniAbuja Staff would join in making the ASUU see reason why it should call off its strike now. The strike has not done any good to the image of the University, and its continuation would only further damage the image of the great UofA. In any endeavour, it is the spirit of give and take that resolves matters rather than a spirit of a fight-to-die! No amount of war would build, it can only destroy. It is dialogue and peace that build and strengthen a community anywhere in the world.

Abdul-Rasheed