THE Federal Government has directed Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities in the country to ensure that members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) who are currently on strike are not paid their salaries.

The directive was contained in a letter issued by the National Universities Commission (NUC) sighted by the ICIR at the weekend.

According to the letter dated November 29, 2018, signed by Ramon Yusuf, the NUC Director of Research, Innovation and Information Technology and addressed to Vice Chancellors of Federal Universities and Directors of Inter University Centre, the universities are to pay the salaries and allowances of only non-teaching staff.

The Federal Government in the document warned that it would amount to a violation of the extant law to pay the salaries of lecturers on strike from any source.

ASUU began this current round of strike action on November 5. The lecturers said they will not return to the classrooms except the government implemented the Memorandum of Action (MoA) it signed with the union in 2017.

President of the union, Biodun Ogunyemi recently called on the general public, especially students of the various universities in the country to show understanding with the lecturers who are currently on strike because the struggle is for their (the student’s) good.

He expressed fear that the strike may not be called off any sooner as there has not been any concrete headway in the negotiation between ASUU and the federal government.

He called on the students and their parents to show understanding with the lecturers in the struggle.

“The whole essence of this struggle is to ensure that our students get worthy and deserving certificates that they will be proud of anywhere they may find themselves in the world,” Ogunyemi has said.