Chinedu Nwafor, Abakaliki

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) University of Nigeria Nsukka Chapter, has protested the pro-rata October salary payment and backlog of 8-month salaries owed its members by the Federal Government.
During the protest, theunion directed lecturers to withhold exam results and cease to participate in any department, faculty or senate council meetings to approve results until they are paid by government.
The UNN-ASUU Members carried placards during with inscriptions such as, “We say no to intimidation by government”, “kill education, kill the nation,” “Our government does not honour agreement,” “No pay no academic results, say no to pro-rata.”
Others reads:“Pay us our salary backlogs, stop using pro-rata to pay us, lecturers are not casual workers “, “Enough is enough, mother of all strike is loading”, among others
Speaking to Journalists in Nsukka shortly after  the protest, on Tuesday, Dr Christian Opata, the Branch Chairman of ASUU, said that the aim of the congress was to get the input of members on issues concerning  the union.
Opata said the protest was to inform the university community on the inability of government to pay ASUU backlog of 8-month salary, and to protest the half salary paid to members when the union suspended the strike on October.
He said: “ASUU-UNN has directed its members not  to release exam results or participate in any department, faculty or Senate council meeting to approve results until government do the needful.
“We will continue to teach but will not release the result of any exam or allow the school senate to seat and approve any result.
“ASUU is saying no to the government policy of no work, no pay, but if government insists on the policy, ASUU will not handle any academic activity that fall within that eight months period.
“ASUU wants government to honour it’s agreement with the union since 2009 and stop further attempt that will keep  students away from school.”
The ASUU boss described as unfortunate the attempt by government to treat lecturers as labourers by using the so called “pro-rata” format to pay them their October salary.
“This is the first time in the history of this country when university academic staff are paid as casual workers.
“An indication that the present administration in the country has no regard for education,” he said.
Opata threatened that, if government failed to do the needful, ASUU is determined to embark on what will be known in Nigeria history as mother of all strikes.

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