Senator Ali Ndume, representing Borno South at the National Assembly, on Thursday appealed to the Federal Government to slash the salaries of NASS members by 50 percent so as to meet the pressing demands of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
Ndume disclosed this during an interview with newsmen in Maiduguri, while reacting to the half-salary paid to ASUU members by the Federal Government.
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.”
Ndume said 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.”
“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.”