By Emem Idio, Yenagoa

THE Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Federal University Otuoke, FUO, Bayelsa, Branch, has called on the Federal Government to release all outstanding salaries and allowances of its members in all public universities in Nigeria without further delay, declaring that the “No work no pay rule” cannot apply to ASUU members.

ASUU FUO said that the job description of every academic staff at the university level entails, teaching, research and community service hence, while the first component, teaching was temporarily suspended during the strike action its members were still working and carrying out community service, research and other components of their job description.

The ASUU branch which stated this in a resolution issued after a meeting and a rally held at the Skills Acquisition Campus of the University, to deliberate on the lingering industrial crisis between the Federal Government and ASUU, noted that the 2009 Agreement was a mutual agreement aimed at improving the quality of education in public universities in Nigeria.

The resolution which was signed by ASUU FUO Branch Chairman, Comrade Dr. Socrates Ebo, Chairman and Secretary, Congress Resolution Drafting Committee, Comrade Dr. John Kalama and Udochukwu Esther Chioma, respectively reads in part: “The 2009 Agreement was a mutual agreement aimed at improving the quality of education in public universities in Nigeria.

“Rather than implement the provisions of the 2009 agreement our Union was shocked to observe that the President Buhari-led Federal Government through its Ministry of Labour and Productivity decided to renege on the agreement by instituting a suit against our Union ,ASUU, at the National Industrial Court, NIC.

“Consequently, the Congress of ASUU, Federal University Otuoke branch resolved as follows: That the job description of every academic staff at the university level entails, teaching,  research and community service hence, while the first component, teaching was temporarily suspended during the strike action our members were still working and carrying out community service, research and other components of our job description.

“Thus, the Federal Government’s “No work no pay rule” cannot apply to ASUU members. We therefore call on the Federal Government to release all outstanding salaries and allowances of our members in all public universities in Nigeria without further delay.”

They appealed to members of the National Assembly, the Nigeria Labour Congress and other well-meaning Nigerians to intervene and prevail on the Federal Government to honour and implement the 2009 Agreement it entered into with the Union.