UNIBEN Lecturers Protest FG ‘No Work, No pay’ Policy

Lecturers at the University of Benin, under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, have protested against the no-work no-pay policy insisted on by the Federal Government after the eight-month industrial action embarked upon them.

The lecturers who students joined in a rally around the school premises carried placards with various inscriptions.

The lecturers who held a congress tagged ‘casualization of intellectualism in Nigeria’ shortly before the rally say the protest is to draw the attention of the public to the Federal government’s attempt at casualization of academics.

The University of Benin ASUU chairman, Raymond Chikogu and other union leaders who spoke on the half pay received in October say the action of the federal government’s no work, no pay policy runs contrary to all labour laws and best practices worldwide.

UNIBEN’s student union, led by Foster Amadin and the National Association of Nigeria Students representatives also expressed their dissatisfaction with the stand of the federal government just weeks after resuming from an eight-month strike.

They also demanded improved education funding and implementation of all agreements reached with the unions to avert further disruption of academic activities.