BY LAJU ARENYEKA

PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan has said that the Federal Government is handling the prolonged strike embarked upon by the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics, ASUP, and the Colleges of Education Academic Staff Union, COEASU.

President Jonathan who made this known during the Presidential media chat last weekend said that the “Polytechnics are being handled.” He however criticized the unions for expecting to be paid when they have been on strike for so long.

“It is quite interesting that people will be on strike for six months and expect to be paid for those six months, he said, “there is a provision in the constitution that says that if people go on strike for a day, they should not be paid for that day. You will forgo your salary for that one day because you want to communicate with the public and the Government about your concerns. That is the provision of the law.

The law is there, it is not Jonathan that made that law. We have similar laws in the parliament, if your consistency wants you to cross carpets you have to forgo your seat. All these are happening because our democracy is quite young, as we continue to progress, things will stabilize.”

ASUP has been on strike for nearly seven months, and COEASU for three months.