*Pro-Chancellors of the the Nigerian Federal Universities urge the Federal Government to聽 reconsider the ‘No-Work, No-Pay’ stance of government, assuring the lecturers will make up for lost time once an amicable situation is reached, and institutions reopened

Alexander Davis | 绿帽献妻

President Muhammadu Buhari has met with the Chairman and select Pro-Chancellors of the country’s Federal Universities at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, FCT.

Buhari, at the meeting Friday, September 16, 2022, promised to engage in further consultations with relevant stakeholders, towards ending the protracted strike by members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), report said.

The Nigerian President聽 said without necessarily going back on what is already established policy, 鈥淚 will make further consultations, and I鈥檒l get back to you.鈥�

The visiting Pro-Chancellors, led by Prof. Nimi Briggs, said they had come to meet with the President in three capacities:

They said: 鈥淎s President and Commander-in-Chief, as father of the nation, and as Visitor to the Federal universities.鈥� Briggs reportedly said despite the pall cast by over seven months of industrial action by the lecturers, 鈥渢he future of University system in the country is good.鈥�

He particularly cited as an example the recent listing of the University of Ibadan (UI) among the first 1,000 universities in the world, a development occurring for the first time.

The Chairman of the Pro-Chancellors also commended Federal Government on some concessions already made to the striking lecturers.

According to him, these聽 include the offer to raise salaries by 23.5 percent across board, and 35 percent for Professors.

Briggs, nonetheless, urged the Federal Government for 鈥渇urther inching up of the salary, in view of the economic situation of the country.鈥�

Besides, the Pro-Chancellors also asked for a reconsideration of the No-Work, No-Pay stance of government, promising that lecturers would make up for time lost as soon as an amicable situation was reached, and schools reopened.

Meanwhile, Goodluck Nana Opiah, Honourable Minister of State for Education, has said all the concessions made by Federal Government were to ensure that the industrial action comes to an end, report stated.