The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) yesterday criticised the controversy over the payment of the minimum wage, saying the failure of the government to pay the new wage it signed into law only portrays government leaders as an irresponsible lot.
The local chairman of the union in the University of Ibadan (UI), Ademola Aremu, who spoke with journalists in Ibadan on Thursday, said the briefing was to sensitise the public on the non-implementation of the ASUU/FG agreement reached in 2009.
"The minimum wage saga is pathetic and it serves as a pointer to the level of government's irresponsiveness and irresponsibility. We are not even talking about the law. The minimum wage bill was signed into law March this year.
"Yet, the government has since constituted lawlessness unto itself. One is forced to ask what is the hope of common a man in Nigeria if those who should be the custodians of the law and uphold the law they swore to protect are the ones breaking the law," Mr Aremu said.
He said though the agreement was reached after two years of discussions between the ASUU and federal officials, the government has refused to honour the terms it agreed to.
He alleged that most of the terms in the agreement have been breached by the government and the few they attempted to implement were done haphazardly.
The ASUU chairman also explained that the bill forwarded to the National Assembly on the retirement age of their members was at variance with the content of agreement signed by the parties.
He warned that the refusal to honour the agreement may throw the nation to another round of strike by the university lecturers.
Explaining further on the possibility of embarking on strike any moment from now, he argued that the agreement reached by the government was in two phases.
"The first phase, which was due for review in the next three months, has not been effectively implemented," he said, wondering when the government would be ready to implement the major aspect of the document.
Call for intervention
Mr Aremu, who called on traditional and religious leaders and all well meaning Nigerians to prevail on government to do the right thing to save the nation from the strike actions, said ASUU always tries to exploit all available means to get things done in a proper manner before resorting to strike.
Speaking on university autonomy, Mr Aremu said many state governors are already over reaching their bounds by sacking vice chancellors of their state-owned universities without recourse to due process. This, he said, will only form a barrier on the progress of education in the country.
He also accused the government of not giving education the right attention, adding that such attitude would only retard the development of the country.
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