Following the suspension of the eight-month strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, university lecturers on Friday returned to work
However, findings by Saturday PUNCH revealed that the academics had yet to get the assent of the President, Major General Muhammadu Buhari (retd.) regarding the plan for a new agreement and the no-work-no-pay policy.
It was also learnt that the duty of paying earned academic allowances would from 2024 be the responsibility of the governing councils of the universities.
The union suspended the protracted strike which began on February 14 after an emergency meeting of its National Executive Council held at the Comrade Festus Iyayi National Secretariat, University of Abuja, Abuja, on Thursday.
But, in a press statement made available to Saturday PUNCH, it noted that the issues in its dispute with the Federal Government, including the demand for an improvement in the welfare of its members, had yet to be well addressed.
ASUU, in the statement, which was signed by its National President, Prof Emmanuel Osodeke, also commended the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, for his interventions.
“The National Industrial Court in its wisdom gave an order compelling ASUU to resume work pending the determination of the substantive suit. Given the nature of the order, and in the opinion of our counsel, there was the need to appeal the interlocutory injunction granted against our union at the Court of Appeal.
“The Court of Appeal acknowledged the validity of the grounds of the union’s appeal but still upheld the order of the lower court and ordered our union to comply with the ruling of the lower court as a condition precedent for the appeal to be heard.
“While appreciating the commendable efforts of the leadership of the House of Representatives and other patriotic Nigerians who waded into the matter, NEC noted with regrets that the issues in dispute are yet to be satisfactorily addressed.”