NEWS
ASUU Threatens, Reveals Next Action If FG Continues ‘No-Work, No-Pay Policy’
The federal government continues to enforce the no work, no pay policy, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to skip the backlog of classes that have been postponed due to their seven-month strike.
After a special congress and protest rally on Monday, ASUU members, primarily from the University of Port Harcourt (UNIPORT) Chapter in Rivers state, claimed that the policy did not apply to them because they had resumed work where they had left off seven months earlier and were currently catching up on backlogs by combining two sessions.
Chairman, ASUU, Uniport, Dr. Uzoma Chima, said, “Today’s special congress and protest rally is to express our dissatisfaction with recent attempt by federal government of Nigeria to reduce university lecturers to daily pay casual workers.
“Because we know that there is nowhere in the world where university lecturers are treated as casual workers. So, today we invited parents, and students to let them know the state of things since after the suspension of our strike.
“Since we suspended the strike following the National Industrial Court order, we have come back to resume our duties and currently doing the backlogs of work we should have done during the strike. As a union of intellectuals, our job makes the no work, no pay policy not applicable to us.
“Because during the strike we were doing research. It was only teaching we were not doing. We were doing research and members engaged in community services. The teaching that was not done, we are doing already. We are clearing the backlog of work.
“So, today, we called parents and students to carry the issue to the public. Let them not see it as a fight for only ASUU because we know and it is so clear now that the ruling class wants to decimate the public universities. And of course, as the eggheads of the nation, we will not allow that to happen.
“What we are going to do if the FG refuses to listen to us is so simple. If government continues to say they will not pay us, we will abandon the work to do for those sessions and that will mean outright cancelation of those sessions.
“We will now wait for admission to be done for the 2022/2023 session so that we will continue from there.”
What that means is that the old students in the university will have to lose those sessions, that is the implication.”
Some of the inscriptions on their protest placards read, “No to Pro Rata Salary Payment, “Lecturers are not casual workers” and “FG, stop maltreatment of lecturers”.
The Israeli military has launched new airstrikes on Lebanon, specifically targeting Dahiyeh, a southern suburb of Beirut, marking a significant escalation in hostilities between Israel and Hezbollah.
The strikes, carried out on Sunday, were reportedly aimed at Hezbollah’s weapons storage facilities and essential infrastructure across the country.
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A Lebanese security official confirmed the attack to the AFP news agency, noting that a loud explosion was heard, followed by visible smoke in the area.
This assault occurs against a backdrop of rising tensions in the region, as both sides continue to engage in mutual accusations and military actions.
More to follow………
Tensions in the Middle East have reached a boiling point as Israel continues its relentless military campaign against Hezbollah, raising fears of a wider conflict beyond the ongoing war in Gaza.
On Saturday, Israeli airstrikes targeted Lebanon’s capital, Beirut, leaving 33 people dead and 195 injured, according to Lebanese authorities.
The strike on Beirut’s southern suburb of Dahieh, a Hezbollah stronghold, resulted in massive explosions that destroyed numerous buildings, leaving thick plumes of black smoke hanging over the city.
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Lebanon’s Ministry of Health confirmed the casualties, while Israeli media suggested that the attack aimed to eliminate senior Hezbollah leaders.
The Israeli Defense Forces (IDF), however, declined to comment on the specifics of the operation.
On Friday night, Hezbollah leader Hassan Nasrallah was reportedly killed in a targeted Israeli airstrike, marking a critical escalation in the conflict.
Nasrallah, a key figure in Hezbollah’s operations and political activities, was struck during an attack on Hezbollah’s headquarters in southern Beirut.
The Israeli military used an 80-ton bomb in the assault, according to Hezbollah’s statement. It was confirmed that Nasrallah was in the building at the time, along with his daughter, both of whom were killed.
Shortly after the attack, the Israeli military posted on social media, “Hassan Nasrallah will no longer be able to terrorize the world,” signaling the IDF’s satisfaction with the operation.
The death of Nasrallah has sent shockwaves throughout the region, with fears mounting that the conflict between Israel and Hezbollah could spiral into a full-scale war.
The assassination of Nasrallah prompted an immediate response from Hezbollah, vowing retaliation and escalating already high tensions in Lebanon.
Iranian authorities, key backers of Hezbollah, reacted swiftly, with Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei calling an emergency meeting.
Reports from Iranian officials indicated that Khamenei had been moved to a secure location following the Israeli strikes.
The death of Nasrallah marks a turning point in the volatile dynamics of the Middle East, with many regional actors bracing for the potential consequences of his assassination.
With Israeli airstrikes continuing and Hezbollah forces on high alert, the prospect of a new warfront opening in Lebanon looms large, raising fears of even greater instability across the region.
As both sides prepare for potential further conflict, the international community watches closely, concerned that the violence could spread beyond Lebanon and Gaza, igniting a broader regional war.
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