THE Federal Government, on Monday, expressed serious concern over what it described as the too rigid stance of the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities (ASUU) on the crisis in the university system and the negotiations with the union, saying that ASUU was causing a lot of problems in the system.

To this end, the Federal Government has concluded plans to enforce the ‘no work, no pay’ rule if the university teachers failed to suspend the strike and allow negotiation to continue. And Nigerian Tribune learnt yesterday that the Federal Government had warned that it would punish university administrators who paid the striking teachers.

Besides, the Industrial Arbitration Panel is also set to enforce the rule, having begun the hearing of the case instituted against ASUU by the Federal Government over the strike in the universities.

Minister of Labour, Prince Adetokunbo Kayode, spoke with journalists on how the ASUU was allegedly frustrating Federal Government’s efforts to resolve the crisis, even as the government negotiating team announced on Monday that it had stopped its negotiations with ASUU, because the union had refused to suspend the strike to create an enabling environment for them to discuss.

“The Government Team endeavoured to facilitate the conclusion of these negotiations at the strict employer-employee level. Unfortunately, that effort has been stalled by the current strike. We, therefore, cannot get to the point where the councils can receive the documents and speedily conclude the negotiations for implementation,

“Consequently, the government team is not in a position to continue further negotiations with the union until it suspends its strike to provide an enabling environment for them,” Chairman of the FGN/ASUU Re-Negotiation Committee, Mr. Gamaliel Onasode, who is also the leader of government team, said on Monday.

The Minister of Education, Dr. Sam Egwu, made a phone call to the Minister of Labour, Prince Kayode, and said it was time for laws to take their full effect, saying that “as it is now, they (ASUU members) are trying to force the government to implement the “no work no pay rule.”

He added: “Government has warned Nigerian workers over time that if they don’t work they won’t get paid.” Prince Kayode stated that ASUU was causing a lot of problems, because the agreement was that both sides should go to a roundtable with the understanding that they would call off the strike.”

The minister of labour said: “I have pleaded with them, the Senate president has pleaded with them, the Speaker has pleaded with them; all well- meaning Nigerians have pleaded with them, including the Chairman of House and Senate Committees. On top of it, the president has granted us a concession of 40 per cent, another special concession of paying over backward.

“The vice president has also talked to them. There was agreement that they should go back to the roundtable to begin discussion, to work out the way out of this situation. They said that the issue is not money but all about the agreement and we have been busy working on it one way or the other with the understanding that they will call off the strike while discussion continues. “
Prince Kayode added: “There should be a limit to how people can be rigid about these things. Everybody, all parents, all students, the obas, the sultan, have pleaded with them to call off the strike. What are we going to do? Even if ASUU has a good case and argues badly, they can lose it, just like if you have a bad case and you argue very well, you may even win.

“Why should people take such a rigid approach? Now, there is an IAP order, an enforceable order, directing them to go back to work. If we are talking of due process and the rule of law, that is the law, that is what the Trade Dispute Act says.”

He explained that the matter had been referred to the IAP, and the court would give its ruling and they must comply, adding, “the rule states that if they are not on strike, they must wait until the case is determined. If you are already on strike, you must go back to work but ASUU has refused to do this.”

He alleged that ASUU was trying to create a big crisis in the education sector, describing this development as a shame. Prince Kayode stated that ASUU had been going on strike every year in the past 10 years, stressing that with their hardline and rigid posture, they were forcing the government to implement the no work no pay rule.

He pointed out that with the present situation and based on the federal system of governance, it would be against the law for the Federal Government to negotiate and sign all agreements and impose them on the state governments.

The minister stated that ASUU comprised both federal and state university teachers, and the Federal Government could not sign agreements on behalf of the state.

But ASUU said it had now rejected the 40 per cent offer by the Federal Government because the leader of the government team told them at the commencement of the re-negotiations that he had no new mandate apart from the 40 per cent already offered.

Yar dua must go