The Chairman of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Ibadan branch, Dr. Adefemi Afolabi, has described the Federal Government’s “No Work, No Pay” directive as a panicky and knee-jerk reaction, likening it to the actions of someone who has lost the capacity for reason and resorts instead to force to subdue an opponent.
Dr. Afolabi stated this in Ibadan during an interview in which he condemned the Federal Government’s stance, which, he said, precipitated the ongoing two-week warning strike. He noted that President Bola Tinubu, who during his electioneering campaigns promised that there would be no ASUU strike under his administration, has failed to put in place mechanisms to prevent industrial actions in the education sector.
Speaking on the directive, Afolabi said, “The ‘No Work, No Pay’ policy is a panicky measure. I see it as a knee-jerk reaction by the Federal Government, which thinks that as an employer, the way to deal with its employees is to threaten them with hunger, as if they are not adults or professionals with dignity. This is not the way to resolve industrial disputes. We gave the government an ultimatum, but it ignored us.”
He recalled that similar measures in the past had inflicted severe hardship on lecturers, some of whom suffered health crises or even died due to financial constraints. “If the government is introducing a policy that endangers its citizens, particularly those at the top of the academic ladder, then it is not fair,” he said.
Dr. Afolabi accused successive administrations of failing to meet ASUU’s longstanding demands and expressed disappointment that the current government had continued in the same direction. “This government is of the same party as the last one. Some of those in power today were part of the administration that assured us there would be no strike under their watch. If such a promise was made, mechanisms should have been in place to prevent this situation. But that hasn’t happened,” he added.
Addressing the issue of withheld salaries from the 2022 strike period, Afolabi noted that the payment promised by President Tinubu was yet to be fully implemented. “President Tinubu promised to pay the seven and a half months’ salaries withheld under former President Muhammadu Buhari. So far, only four months have been paid, leaving three and a half months outstanding. Those salaries are for work that has already been done — students returned, were taught, examined, and graduated without any compromise on quality. The only difference is that the strike delayed their graduation,” he explained.
He criticized the Federal Government’s decision to announce the “No Work, No Pay” policy on the first day of the warning strike, describing it as evidence of the government’s unwillingness to negotiate. “When you can no longer reason or present logical arguments, you resort to brute force. That is what this directive represents, an attempt to cow us into submission. But we will not be intimidated; we remain focused,” he declared.
Reacting to reports of a splinter group within ASUU, Afolabi dismissed the existence of any parallel union at the University of Ibadan. “We do not have any counter-ASUU in UI. Wherever such groups exist, they can continue their activities, but here, all lecturers have downed tools. None of them can sit at the negotiation table with the Federal Government on our behalf,” he said.
He lamented the poor remuneration and working conditions in Nigerian universities, noting that many lecturers are resigning in frustration. “Imagine a fresh Ph.D. holder earning N150,000 per month. What is that compared to their counterparts in advanced countries?” he queried.
