The Speaker House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has kicked against a claim by the Academic Staff Union of the Nigerian University, ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, that he deceived the lecturers into negotiation with the promise of salary arrears payment. The spokesman of the green chamber, Ben Kalu, made this known today saying that the Speaker never promised anyone salary arrears during the ASUU verse the federal government negotiation. Recall that Gbajabiamila through his intervention, the ASUU call off its eight-month strike that shut down all public universities across the country.
Subsequently, the National Industrial Court directed the academicians to suspend the long industrial action unconditionally, while the federal government insisted on the no-work-no-pay policy.
The ASUU president during one interview on Tuesday claimed that the Speaker tricked them into accepting negotiation with the promise of salary arrears but has failed to redeem his promise.
However, responding to the allegation, Kalu said at, “no point did the Speaker of the House of Representatives commit to offset the arrears of salaries owed to union members for the time they were on strike.”
He revealed that all commitments made by Gbajabiamila are captured in the 2023 Appropriation Bill, which includes; N170 billion to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers and an additional N300 billion in revitalization funds, and which the government considers a promise fulfilled.
Kalu therefore, accused the ASUU of what he described as a “bad-faith approach to negotiations”, accusing Osodeke that “his affinity for political brinkmanship are significant reasons the universities were on strike for so long.”
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