By Cross Udo
As the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, calls on the government to implement its agreement, the Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has said he is not aware of any agreement.

The minister also said that members of ASUU received their rightful salary in October, which was paid on a pro-rata basis

He denied the allegations that the Federal Government has indirectly made lecturers casual workers by paying them half their salary in October, saying that nobody can make them casual staff.

Recall that the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), called off the eight-month strike it embarked upon on February 14 this year on October 14 and was paid the October salary based on the number of days they worked.

ASUU called off the strike as a result of the judgment by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria (NICN) that ordered the union to go back to work before it could entertain its pending case.

Angered by the payment of half salary, ASUU has embarked on a protest in different universities to express their dissatisfaction with the government’s decision not to pay them fully in October.

But despite protestations from ASUU over pro-rata October salary payment, the federal government on Wednesday insisted that the lecturers were paid what was due them

The government also insisted that the lecturers would not be paid for work not done.

Fielding questions while briefing State House correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja, Mallam Adamu said he was not aware of any planned protest by ASUU.

Responding to the allegation made by the President of ASUU, Prof Emmanuel Osodoke, suggesting that paying the lecturers on a pro-rata basis was a ploy to make them casual workers, the Minister remarked that government has no such plan.

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He said, “The strike has been called off and the government has paid them what is due to them. I think that’s the position of the government; that it is not going to pay anyone for work not done and they only did, I think, the number of days that they were paid.

“How can anybody make a university lecturer a casual worker? Do you know the meaning of casual worker? If you know the meaning of the casual worker, it is impossible to make a university lecturer a casual worker.”

Asked if the Federal Government would be willing to take steps to assuage the ASUU and stave off further hostilities, the Minister said, “I don’t understand, is there any problem now.”

When reminded that ASUU planned a work-free day, he said “Oh? Okay, I’m not aware. I’m not aware. That they are going on strike? No, nobody has told me.

“So let’s wait till the work-free day comes, then I’ll find out the details and we’ll discuss, you can ask me then, but at the moment, I’m telling you honestly, I do not know that there is a problem”, he said.

Asked to shed light on the claim by the President of the ASUU, Professor Emmanuel Osodoke, that the union only had an agreement with the Minister of Education and the Speaker of the House of Representatives, not with the Minister of Labour and Employment, Adamu said “I cannot add any light on something that I did not know.

“And since they said they have no business with the minister, did they show you the agreement? Well, I’m not aware that there’s any agreement between us”, he said.

On the approvals he got at the FEC, he said, “Council approved three memos and all three of them are contracts.

“The first one is for the National Examination Council (NECO) for the printing of sensitive and necessary materials, which was given to about I think eight contractors in the sum of 5,107,364,373.62.

“The second one is a contract for the supply of 18 ambulances fitted with medical equipment to 18 of our unity schools. We have more than 100 of them for 18 we just decided to select three in your political zone.

“And the third one is a contract for the perimeter fencing of Usman Dan Fodio University in the sum of 3,269,761,783.43 to Amis Construction Nigeria limited”

Also, briefing on behalf of the Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, Special Adviser to the President on Media and Publicity, Chief Femi Adesina, said, “I will just give details on approval given to the Federal Road Safety Commission to procure operational vehicles.

“So FRSC got approval to buy operational vehicles. One was given to Dangote Peugeot Automobile Nigeria Limited and then the second one was for a re-procurement of saloon cars in favours of messers Mikaino International Limited. Everything came to 2,578,948,164.36 kobos only.

“Please note that the contracts were secured locally based automobile. Dangote Peugeot is to supply within 30 days while Mikaino international is to supply within 14 days. So for Dangote Peugeot, it is to supply 18 Landtrek pickups at N18,172,875.00 each totalling N145,383,000.00, and 90 at N20,889,999 each totalling N1,880,099,910.00. And then for Mikaino it is to supply 20 number Nissan Almera Acenta at the cost of N12, 255,000.00 each.”