The Federal Government has said that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, lacks the power to dictate to government how to receive its members’ salary.
It said the union’s members, being employees of government, must abide by labour laws on how to be paid.
The government spoke through the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige.
The Minister threatened that the Federal Government would invoke various local and international labour laws on the striking university teachers to make them reason with the government.
He urged lecturers to resume discussion on some of the issues it raised with the government.
The ASUU leadership, on March twenty-third, declared an indefinite strike over the new payroll system and the non-implementation of the 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement.
Dr Ngige also said the taxes being deducted by bursars and Vice Chancellors of universities were not reflective of Pay As You Earn, PAYE.
The Minister hinted that Federal Government had to offset the shortfall of over eight hundred billion naira to state governments through Joint Tax Board, JTB, as a result.
However, ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, described the minister’s claims as “pure mischief”, stating that they were thoroughly embarrassed that such reckless and baseless allegation could be credited to the Minister of Labour and Employment.
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