The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) leadership has refuted any awareness of President Bola Tinubu’s directive to pay four months out of the eight months of withheld salary arrears owed to its members.

During an interview with journalists at the Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, where scholarships were being presented to undergraduate students in the Bauchi Zone, ASUU’s National Vice President, Prof. Christopher Piwuna, made the statement.

Recalling that on October 20, 2023, Tinubu had granted a partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” policy imposed on striking ASUU members, following their eight-month strike that began on February 14, 2022, and ended on October 17, 2022.

However, ASUU maintains that it has not been informed about such developments.

When asked about the status of the four-month salary arrears, Piwuna stated that ASUU is unaware of any funds being awarded by the government.

“We are not aware that the government has allocated money to anyone. As a union, we are not aware of that,” he declared.

Professor Nanmwa Voncir of Abubakar Tafawa Balewa University, Bauchi, also addressed the event, blaming student union representatives for their failure to prevent the recent increase in public university fees.

He expressed concern that students from disadvantaged backgrounds are at risk of dropping out of school due to the fee hike imposed by university management.

Voncir criticized the compromising attitude of student representatives, which he believes has led to the introduction of anti-student policies by the federal government and tertiary institution administrators.

As the former ASUU Chairman at ATBU and Zonal Coordinator for Bauchi Zone, he questioned the federal government’s claim of insufficient funds for education and emphasized the potential dropout risks for economically disadvantaged students.

Voncir urged the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) and other student bodies to collaborate with ASUU in advocating for adequate university funding and opposing policies that are detrimental to student welfare.

“I am disappointed that the student leadership has compromised in these struggles, resulting in the recent arbitrary increase in school fees at universities across the country.”

He recalled a previous instance where student leaders supported a fee increase at ATBU, despite initial opposition from ASUU.