STRIKE: Education Minister Restates FG’s Policy on “No Work, No Pay” …Debunks Report On Calling ASUU Thieves

Minister of State for Education Rt. Hon. Goodluck Nanah Opiah has restated reasons behind the position of the Federal Government on “no work no pay policy” stance on the resolution of the industrial strike embarked by the Academic Staff Union of Nigerian Universities, ASUU.

A press release issued by the Special Adviser Media/Public Affairs to the Honourable Minister of State for Education, Kelechi Mejuobi during the week states that the minister who was on a working visit to the Federal University, Lokoja, Kogi State disclosed that having done what ASUU demanded, government expected the university teachers to go back to school unconditionally.

Opiah who said that the federal government has done the  best to resolve the crisis averred that the “no work, no pay policy” is a universal policy not peculiar to the country alone.

While regretting that the strike has caused a setback in the education sector where the government, students,  parents and lectures are the major  losers, he requested the Pro-Chancellor’s and heads of governing councils of universities to come into the matter and convince ASUU to reconsider its position.

The minister who was in the university to access level of development in the institution established eleven (11) years ago, used the opportunity to look at the contribution of the intervention agency, TETfund in the infrastructural development of the school as well as security arrangements in the campus  in view of the current situation in the country.

He was full of praises to the management of the institution for the pace of development recorded so far since inception.

The minister called for continued harmony between the Governing Council led by the Pro Chancellor, Senator Chris Adighije and the management adding that it will facilitate the needed development for academic excellence.

Earlier, the minister paid a courtesy visit to the Governor of the state, Alhaji Yahaya Bello where he disclosed the purpose of his visit to the state.

The release which also states that the Minister never called ASUU Thieves or other names as wrongly speculated in the media, while pointing out that the story is fake and the work of mischief makers, called on the general public to ignore the report as the minister has in several public functions given the position of federal government and nothing more.

“However, in a related development, the attention of the office of the Minister of State has been attracted to a suspected cheap blackmail orchestrated by an unknown medium which is gaining attention in the social media”

“It is on record in his remark during the visit to the management and staff of the institution,  the Minister of State for Education never used any word related to or called ASUU Thieves. There was nothing near to such assertion as wrongly expressed by the medium in a post”

“It amounts to media  recklessness and abuse of professional ethics for a news medium to wrongly credit words to sources who never made such expression. The words used in the write up are nothing but  figment of the writer’s imagination as the Minister of State,  a seasoned politician, statesman and a critical stakeholder in nation building who not only  accords due regards to constituted authorities but also doesn’t trade with foul languages in the course of discharging his duties”

“The general public are requested to ignore the report as the minister has in several public functions given the position of federal government on the matter without unnecessary references to the striking university teachers”

News Corner.