ASUU STRIKE: Non-Payment Of Salaries Caused Hardship To Us - Benue Lecturers

Lecturers of Benue State University (BSU) on Friday expressed their discontent with the non-payment of their September salary. At the same time, they remain adamant over their demands which led to their current strike.

Talking to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Makurdi, the Chairman of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in BSU, Dr Samuel Ikoni, said the non-payment of the September was worrisome and caused some hardship to the lecturers.

"It is unclear if the non-payment of our salary is connected to the no-work-no-pay threat issued by Gov Gabriel Suswam some weeks ago," he said.

Suswam had ordered the lecturers to return to work or forfeit their salary. But the lecturers, did not follow the order, insisting that their continued participation in the strike was for the benefit of the BSU.

Ikoni, however, noted that the non-payment of salary was not peculiar to ASUU members alone, as members of the non-academic staff union were yet to receive their salary too.

He stressed that the lecturers' salary payment schedule, which was taken to the bank, did not have "a cash backing'' to enable payment.

It will be reminded, that ASUU has embarled upon an indefinite strike since June 30, 2013. The lecturers protest against the FG's failure to honour a 2009 agreement signed between it and ASUU in 2009 pertaining to issues of university funding and improvement of infrastructure in the sector.