The senator representing Borno South in the National Assembly, Ali Ndume, has implored the Federal Government to cut the salaries of National Assembly members by 50 per cent in order to meet the demands of the Academic Staff of Union Universities (ASUU).
Ndume said this during a discussion with Newsmen in Maiduguri on Thursday while reacting to the half payment of salaries to ASUU members.
The senator counselled the FG to set up a high-powered standing committee of respected educationists and patriotic Nigerians to meet with the leadership of ASUU in order to find a lasting solution to the lecturers’ demands.
In his words, “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 stated that civil servants who worked from home during the COVID-19 pandemic were paid their full monthly salaries and allowances.
“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,” he said.
“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,” Ndume added.
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