FG Lifts No Work, No Pay Order on Medical Lecturers Not on Strike
Onyebuchi Ezigbo
The federal government has commenced payment of withheld salaries of some medical lecturers from various federal universities, who opted out of the ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The move to lift the ‘no work, no pay’ order was sequel to a letter by the medical lecturers under the aegis of Medical and Dental Consultants Association (MDCAN) to the Ministers of Education, Labour and Employment, and Finance Budget and National Planning, requesting for the payment of their withheld March-June, 2022 salaries.
The affected lecturers were from the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), Abubakar Tafawa Balewa Teaching Hospital (ATBUTH) and the Usman Danfodiyo Teaching Hospital (UDUTH).
A top official of the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, who preferred anonymity, confirmed to THISDAY that approval had been granted for the payment of the lecturers.
According to the source, the approval was granted because the medical lecturers harkened to pleas by the federal government and well-meaning Nigerians for ASUU to stay on duty while negotiating with the federal government.
“We are processing the payment as approved by the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning. Our target is to get the salaries paid immediately workers return from Sallah holidays,” the source said.
Meanwhile, more medical lecturers have defied the ongoing ASUU strike to resume work in their various universities.
A letter by the MDCAN, Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University Teaching Hospital, (ATBUTH) chapter to Minister of Labour and Employment had indicated that some clinical lecturers have been working throughout the period of the strike.
The letter entitled, “Request for Payment of Withheld Salaries,” was signed by the Chairman of MDCAN ATBUTH, Dr Yakubu B. Sharma and Secretary, Dr. Rufai A. Dachi.
It read: “We hereby write to humbly request for the payment of withheld salaries of our members from March 2022 to June 22. These members are clinical lecturers who have been working throughout the period of the ongoing ASUU strike.
He noted that the economy of many countries was facing severe challenges giving an example with the neighboring Ghana, where university Teachers Association embarked on strike for just one week and resumed immediately to commence negotiation with their government. He added that some lecturers have confided in the presidency that if government could make reasonable adjustment in their salaries, most would return to work. After all, there are other academics in the polytechnics with Ph.D. and Masters degree who receive less.
