ASUU Strike: We've Paid N92bn As Earned Allowance, Revitalisation Fee - Fed Govt

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The Federal Government has disclosed that it had paid over N92 billion as earned allowances and revitalisation fee to government-owned universities across the country.

Also See: Chris Ngige Gives Update on FG-ASUU Negotiations So Far

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige

The government also said it is not opposed to an upwards adjustment of the salaries of university teachers, despite the nation’s lean resources.

But it stressed that due process must be followed to raise the lecturers’ pay.

Labour and Employment Minister Chris Ngige said these yesterday while addressing State House correspondents after a meeting with President Muhammadu Buhari at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.

He said President Buhari was satisfied with his brief, stressing that the “2020 December agreement with ASUU is on course, in terms of implementation”.

Commenting on government’s efforts to restore calm in the Education sector, Ngie said: “Why I said that the 2020 December agreement we had with ASUU is on course, in terms of implementation, is that in that agreement, there is a line that says the Federal Government should pay N40 billion for Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) to ASUU and other unions. That has been paid.

“Also, N30 billion was budgeted or was to be paid for revitalisation. That also was paid late last year, while N22.127 billion was agreed, also in that December agreement, to be paid from Supplementary Budget as Earned Allowances for 2021. That money was also paid last year.

“It was put in the Supplementary Budget, which was passed around June or July, and the money was remitted. So, the government has done that,” he said.

The minister, who said the government was willing to do a comparison of the earnings of lecturers in Nigeria and those of other countries, added that a compensatory increment could be effected, if found necessary.

Also, National Association of Nigeria Students (NANS) members in Anambra State yesterday blocked the Enugu-Onitsha expressway for over an hour.  Their protest disrupted traffic and affected the movement of motorists and passengers.

The protesters, who carried placards with different inscriptions, described the ASUU strike as a frustration that must have a permanent solution.

The NANS members carried a banner with a message: #EndASUU Strike Permanently in Nigeria, said they were tired of sitting at home because of perennial strikes.

One of the leaders of the protesters, who identified himself simply as Julius, said the students would not allow old people to continue to frustrate them and jeopardise their future.

Source: TheNation