The Federal Government has said that it applied pro-rata to determine the half salaries paid to university lecturers under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.
This was contained in a statement by the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment, noting that ASUU members cannot be paid for work not done.
The statement while stating that pro-rata was used to determine the October salary of university lecturers, debunked the speculation that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, directed the Accountant General of the Federation not to pay university lecturers full salary.
See Also: UNIJOS ASUU Issues Order To Lecturers Amid Payment Of Half Salary
The statement partly read, “Following the ruling of the Court of Appeal, which upheld the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, asking ASUU to go back to work, the leadership of the union wrote to the Minister, informing him that they have suspended the strike. The Federal Ministry of Education wrote to him in a similar vein and our labour inspectors in various states also confirmed that they have resumed work.
“So, the Minister wrote to the Federal Ministry of Finance, Budget and Planning, directing that their salaries should be restored. They were paid in pro-rata for the number of days that they worked in October, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action. Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied.”
Source: Punch