A senior lecturer at Moses Adasu University, Makurdi, Dr. John Ogi, has condemned the Federal Government’s threat to enforce a no-work-no-pay policy following the Academic Staff Union of Universities’ (ASUU) nationwide strike, describing it as “unreasonable and deeply insensitive.”
The Federal Government, through the Ministry of Education, had on Sunday warned that the two-week warning strike declared by ASUU would attract sanctions under the no-work-no-pay directive.
Reacting to the announcement, Dr. Ogi said the government’s approach reflects a “profound misunderstanding of governance and labour relations,” accusing policymakers of treating university lecturers with “disdain and disregard.”
“Policies that humiliate intellectuals and reduce professionals to a state of dependence akin to almajiri only reflect a profound misunderstanding of governance and labour relations,” he said.
“President Tinubu may have the vision to lead Nigeria forward, but his success depends on the quality of advice and empathy from those around him.”
He further warned that such coercive tactics would only deepen distrust between the government and the academic community.
“This approach does not foster progress; it deepens distrust and widens the gap between leadership and the workforce. Justice, not coercion, should define the government’s response,” Ogi added.
ASUU, which began its two-week warning strike on Monday, announced a total shutdown of academic activities across public universities nationwide. The union said the move was necessitated by the government’s failure to honour previous agreements and address unresolved welfare issues.
The union’s demands include the conclusion of the renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement, the release of withheld salaries, revitalisation funding for public universities, and the cessation of victimisation of lecturers in institutions such as LASU, FUTO, and Prince Abubakar Audu University.
Other key demands include the payment of outstanding salary arrears, promotion backlogs, and the release of third-party deductions like cooperative contributions and union dues.
Despite several rounds of negotiations, ASUU maintains that the Federal Government’s latest offer “falls far short” of expectations.
Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, recently confirmed that talks with the union were in their “final phase,” but ASUU rejected the government’s proposal during an October 10 meeting, insisting that none of their core grievances had been adequately addressed.
The strike has once again left Nigeria’s public universities in limbo, heightening tensions between the academic community and the federal authorities.
