Former Senate Leader, Ali Ndume has told the Federal Government to slash the salaries of the National Assembly members by 50% to resolve the demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Ndume appealed to the government to constitute a high-powered standing committee of respected educationists and patriotic Nigerians to meet with the leadership of ASUU to address their pressing demands.
Ndume, who is the All Progressives Congress (APC) senator for Borno south, said even if it will take the reduction of sitting allowances of lawmakers to cut on the government’s expenditure for ASUU to be settled, then let it be.
The former senate leader made this suggestion yesterday in Maiduguri while reacting to the issue of half payment made to ASUU members by the government.
He noted that “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.”
Ndume, while making a case for ASUU, cited that civil servants were paid their full monthly salaries and allowances when they worked from home during the COVID-19 outbreak, so why would the government cut the salaries of ASSU members because they went on a legitimate strike.
Ndume added that “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.”
