The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has dismissed the Federal Government’s ‘No Work, No Pay’ directive, firmly insisting that the union “will not be intimidated by threats.”
ASUU President, Chris Piwuna, made this statement on Monday while appearing as a guest on Channels Television’s Politics Today.
He declared that the union remains united and “would not succumb to what he described as the government’s attempt to divide the academic community.”
Read Also: FG Enforces No-Work-No-Pay On Striking ASUU Members
Piwuna strongly stated:“We don’t respond to threats, and nobody can threaten us,” Piwuna said.
Piwuna maintained that all academic bodies, including the National Association of Medical and Dental Academics (NAMDA) and the Congress of Nigerian University Academics (CONUA), are “standing together in support of the strike action.”
He accused the Minister of Education of trying to divide the unions:“He is threatening us, writing to NAMDA and CONUA, telling them they can get their salaries. He wants to divide us, but we are united in this matter.”
“CONUA is with us, NAMDA is with us, SSANU is with us, NASU is with us. The polytechnics and colleges of education are also with us,” he said.
The ASUU President advised the Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, to focus on resolving the ongoing dispute rather than issuing threats.
“He has got something coming. He had better sit down and solve this problem or he will fail in trying to divide us,” Piwuna added.
Despite the hardened stance, Piwuna also “hinted that the union remained open to dialogue and was ready to engage with the Federal Government.”
“Today, I received a call from the Minister of State for Labour. She said she has been directed to intervene and get this matter resolved. ASUU is willing. We are ready and available to discuss this matter once and for all,” Piwuna stated.
These comments were made amid heightened tensions following the government’s insistence on implementing the ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy against lecturers participating in the warning strike.
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