President Bola Tinubu has ordered a partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” order instituted against striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) when they embarked on an eight-month strike.
Tinubu, on Friday, approved the release of four months of the withheld salary of the members of the union.
A statement issued by the president’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, disclosed that the waiver was granted invoking the Principle of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, and in recognition of the faithful implementation of terms that were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria.
The waiver will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.
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The statement partly read “Invoking the Principle of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy, President Bola Tinubu has approved the partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order that was instituted against striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) following the commencement of their eight-month industrial action, which began on February 14, 2022, and was terminated on October 17, 2022.
Ngelale said the president sought to mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in Nigeria, as well as Tinubu’s recognition of the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the talks between ASUU and the Federal Government.
“In view of his determination to mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in the country, as well as his recognition of the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria, President Bola Tinubu has directed the grant of an exceptional last waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order on ASUU, which will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four (4) months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.
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Ngelale said the president has directed that the Federal Ministry of Education and that of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding (DoU) establishing that this exceptional waiver granted by the President will be the last one to be granted to the Education Sector Unions.
ASUU embarked on a strike over demands for improved funding for universities, increased salaries for lecturers, and better working conditions, which commenced on February 14, 2022, to October 17, 2022, and became the longest in the union’s history.
Nigeria’s public universities suffered repeated disruptions of the academic calendar recording 16 strikes in 23 years, with lecturers protesting the deficit in the institution’s infrastructure and poor staff welfare.
