ASUU: UniAbuja Protests Half Salary Payment

The University of Abuja (UniAbuja) chapter of the Academic Staff Union Of Universities (ASUU) organised a peaceful demonstration against the withheld salaries by the federal government at the institution's Mini Campus on Friday.

UniAbuja, like other universities, staged a protest against the 'No Work No Pay' policy by the government and the payment of half salaries to lecturers for October.

Dr Kassim Umaru, the chapter's Chairman said its members decided, after its congress, to beckon concerned Nigerians to advise the Federal Government to meet ASUU's demands.

Umaru maintained that university lecturers should not be paid like casual workers, noting that the union's National Executive Council (NEC) would decide on the union's next line of action if the government failed to honour its demands.

They also called on the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, to honour the agreement reached with the union.

“We are here this afternoon to show our displeasure to the Federal Government that it is not all over by forcing us through court injunction ànd intimidating us by holding our salaries.

“We are not going to give up until the Federal Government does the needful by paying our withdrawn salaries and also honouring the agreement signed in 2020.

“The government has signed several agreements with our union, not once, not twice, not three times, but refused to honour the agreement.

“We are telling the public, traditional rulers, religious leaders, well-meaning Nigerians, students and parents that all is not well in the Nigerian universities,” he said.

The chairman called on the public to pressure the government to honour the agreement with the union and pay the withheld salaries.

”We are frustrated and we can no longer take it, enough is enough and we are not going to give up.

“We are not going to take it and we are registering our displeasure that Nigerians should know that anything that happens, ASUU should not be called for anything.

“The speaker has intervened and we have given him the honour, but the Federal Government should do what it has said.

“If the Federal Government is adamant, the NEC of the union will go back to the drawing board, access all the issues and we will take the necessary action,” he stressed.