ASUU to get N23 billion from government as strike paralyses universities
- The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) recently paralysed activities in tertiary institutions with industrial action
- ASUU said it was not happy the government reneged in its agreement with lecturers
- The federal government says it is releasing N23 billion to meet part of the demands
As the industrial action embarked upon by lecturers in Nigeria continues, the country’s education minister, Adamu Adamu, has announced that the government will release N23 billion to meet their demand.
Adamu said this before the Senate committee on tertiary institutions and TETFUND, chaired by Senator Jibrin Barau.
According to Adamu, the government is making serious move to meet the agreement upon which the lecuters, under the auspices of the Academic staff Union of Universities (ASUU), embarked on strike.
“ASUU asked for N23billion to be paid, but we said the condition for getting the N23 billion was for them to account for the N30billion they had taken and they were not able to account for it.
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“The Minister of Finance undertook to do the audit from the ministry and we agreed that the result will be known six months. During those six months, government undertook to be paying ASUU N1.5billion each month during the time they were waiting for this.
‘’However, their grouse was that the forensic audit promised by the minister of finance had not been done and the money promised not paid.
“So, at our meeting two days ago, the agreement was to pay them all and do forensic audit on the entire N53billion.
“I wrote to the minister of finance and she has already approved and this money will be paid. Probably, by Monday, they will be able to receive the cheque.
“We didn’t agree with ASUU on their request that TSA should be taken out. I told them that it is not possible because it is a new policy and government is not going to change it for anyone.
“Concerning their salary short fall, we said the reason springs from universities employing people without proper authority.
“For instance, a university can just decide to go and recruit 50 people without notifying IPPIS.
“So, what they are going to get is the money they got last month, which will not be sufficient for them. We have told them that institutions should, henceforth, stop doing that and they accepted,” he said.
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Barau, while commending the minister, pleaded that the issue should be resolved urgently.
Legit.ng recently reported that Nigerian students were set for a lengthy stay at home as the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has embarked on an indefinite strike action.
The lecturers decided to go on strike after an extensive deliberation at its meeting held at the University of Abuja recently.
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Source: Legit.ng
