Lagos-based human rights activist and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has argued that the directive of ‘no work, no pay’ rule of the federal government against striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) cannot be justified in law on the grounds that only the Governing Councils of the affected institutions are empowered by the relevant laws to subject the academic staff to any form of disciplinary action.
The senior lawyer said in a statement yesterday that the salaries and allowances of striking lecturers cannot be seized without due process.
Last week, the federal government directed the Vice Chancellors of all federal universities in the country to apply Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Amendment Act by seizing the salaries and allowances of the striking members of ASUU.
Falana stated that based on his stance on the matter, the Minister of Labour and Productivity, Dr. Chris Ngige, has not challenged the decisions of the Supreme Court which he cited ‘that it is the exclusive powers of the Governing Council of every university to discipline lecturers whose employment enjoys statutory flavour’.