Femi Gbajabiamila, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, has claimed that he did not guarantee that the Nigerian government would pay the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) any salary arrears.
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The House of Representatives Committee on Information Chairman, Mr. Benjamin Kalu, made the denial in a statement that was released in Abuja on Wednesday, December 28, 2022.
The denial followed alleged assertions made by Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke claimed that Gbajabiamila had broken a written agreement that the government would pay the lecturers' unpaid wages as soon as the strike was over.
Osodeke further asserted that the speaker had given a document bearing his signature to the leadership of the ASUU outlining the government's willingness to fully pay the eight-month salaries due to its members as well as address other union grievances.
According to Osodeke, nothing regarding the promise has been done up to this point, which is why the Speaker hasn't said anything concrete about the issues since then, let alone taken steps to ensure that his promises are kept. ".
The speaker never promised the union such things, according to Kalu, who addressed the claim.
The 2023 Appropriations Bill, which set aside N170 billion and N300 billion for their welfare package and the revitalization of universities, respectively, contained a commitment from the House to address the concerns of the lecturers, which he reaffirmed.
The Speaker of the House of Representatives never pledged to pay back the arrears of wages owed to union members for the time they were on strike, according to Kalu.
He continued, "It is now obvious that the ASUU President's lack of good faith in negotiations and his fondness for political brinkmanship were key factors in the universities' protracted strike.
Recall that the House of Representatives, led by Femi Gbajabiamila, intervened to put an end to the eight-month strike.
The National Industrial Court had ordered the union to call off its strike before the court would consider its appeal.