Senator Ndume proposes cutting lawmakers’ salaries by half to meet ASUU’s demands.
Senator Ali Ndume has urged the Federal Government to cut lawmakers’ salaries by half in order to meet the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
On Thursday, the APC Borno South lawmaker made the request in response to the alleged half-pay to ASUU members in Maiduguri.
He stated that it is in the national interest for the government to pay ASUU half of the wages of National Assembly members.
Ndume encouraged the federal government to form a high-powered standing committee of distinguished educators and patriotic Nigerians to meet with ASUU leadership to discuss outstanding issues.
He said, “Even if it means that the National Assembly will reduce sitting allowances or be paid on casual allowances basis whenever they sit at the Lower and upper chambers, by cutting the recurrent expenditure in the budget of the federal lawmakers to settle the ASUU arrears, let it be. We only assemble twice or so in a week and get paid as such.”
According to the former Senate Leader, there is no justification for denying ASUU members their pay because civil servants who worked from home during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic were paid their full monthly salaries and allowances.
He said; “So why will the federal government cut university lecturers’ salaries because they went on legitimate strike? Constitutionally, they’re fighting for their rights and privileges. As a matter of priority and as a public servant in the legislative chambers, we do not work, so why don’t you just give us half salaries and then pay ASUU.”
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