President Bola Tinubu has approved the partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order instituted against striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
The waiver will allow the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary, which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.
Tinubu directed the grant of the waiver with a mandatory requirement that the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding establishing that this exceptional waiver granted by the President will be the last one to be granted to ASUU and all other Education Sector Unions.
According to a statement signed on Friday by the President’s Special Adviser on Media and Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale, the waiver was granted under the Principle of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy.
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Ngelale said the president sought to “mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in the country, as well as his recognition of the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria.”
The ASUU strike began on February 14, 2022, and was terminated on October 17, 2022. The union was demanding better pay and working conditions and increased funding for public universities. The strike significantly impacted Nigerian students, as many could not attend classes for months.
The partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” Order is a sign that the Nigerian government is willing to work with ASUU to improve the country’s education quality. However, it is essential to note that the waiver is conditional on ASUU agreeing that it will be the last one to be granted.
