The Federal Government has denied the accusation that it paid members of the Academic Staff Union of Nigeria, ASUU, half salaries in October.
Olajide Oshundun, head of Press and Public Relations, Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, said this in a statement he signed on Saturday in Abuja.
He described both reports as grossly inaccurate, misleading and barefaced distortion of facts.
He noted that members of ASUU were paid their October salary pro-rata, and not half salary as the media widely reported.
According to him, pro-rata was done because they cannot be paid for work not done.
Furthermore, he said that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, never directed the lecturers be paid half salaries.
“They were paid pro-rata according to the number of days they worked in October,” he said.
He added that pro-rata payment was made because “you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.”
Mr Oshundun also dismissed a statement by the chairperson of ASUU and others which alleged the Labour Minister was biased in the payment of salaries to selected professional members of the union.
“Those obviously being referred to by the UDUS ASUU chairperson are members of the Medical and Dental Consultants Association (MDCAN) who abstained from the eight-month strike of ASUU.
According to him, to set the records straight, the medical lecturers who are being referred to by the Chairperson of ASUU UDUS branch, abstained from the eight-month strike of ASUU.
He added that the the Medical and Dental Consultants Association, MDCAN, had in a statement corroborated this on November 4.
Consequently, the ministry dismissed the accusation of selective treatment in payment of salaries to ASUU members, urging the media to cross-check their facts to avoid feeding the public with the wrong information.
However, Emmanuel Osodeke, the ASUU President, said members of the union were shocked when they received the half salary payment.
According to Mr Osodeke, we cannot understand what is going on. How do you pay people who are just resuming from a prolonged strike half salary.
