The federal government has insisted that members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) will not be paid for work not done.

On Wednesday, at the state house in Abuja, Adamu Adamu, minister of education, dismissed allegations that the federal government was trying to treat lecturers as causal workers by paying them on a pro-rata basis.

“The strike has been called off and the government has paid them what is due to them,” Adamu said.

He said the position of the government is quite clear, adding that “the government is not going to pay anyone for work not done”.

“How can anybody make a university lecturer a casual worker? Do you know the meaning of casual worker? If you know the meaning of casual worker, it is impossible to make a university lecturer a casual worker,” he said.

The minister denied being unaware of the union’s protest against the withheld salaries.

The union had called for a protest against the federal government’s half-pay policy.

“I’m not aware that they are going on strike? No, nobody has told me,” he said.

“So let’s wait till the work-free day comes, then I’ll find out the details and we’ll discuss, you can ask me then, but at the moment, I’m telling you honestly, I do not know that there is a problem.”

The Cable