ASUU Strike: FG To Pay N34 Billion As Minimum Wage Arrears To Lecturers

ASUU Strike: FG To Pay N34 Billion As Minimum Wage Arrears To Lecturers

The Federal Government is resolving the tertiary education strike by announcing that it will pay N34 billion to settle arrears of Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustments in the education sector, which will take effect in 2019.

Senator Chris Ngige, Minister of Labour and Employment, revealed this on Tuesday while speaking with journalists about current negotiations with academics.

“Members of the striking ASUU and their equivalents at polytechnics and colleges of education are among the beneficiaries of the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustments, according to the minister.

What the minister has to say about ASUU strike Nigeria

Universities will receive N23.5 billion, polytechnics N6 billion, and colleges of education N4 billion, totaling N33.5 billion, according to the Minister.

He further said that based on this, committees were formed during the last meeting, and a report is scheduled to be released soon.

“Those committees are doing their jobs. The government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, which is being tested on NITDA, is one of the three platforms (IPPIS).

“ASUU’s University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) and the non-teaching staff’s Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (UPPPS).”

“They began testing on Thursday. The National Salaries, Wages, and Incomes Commission (NSWIC) has released its modification circulars.

“The unions also have copies to take care of responsibility and hazard allowances,” he added.

As the government continued attempts to streamline pay through the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, Ngige assured that wage modifications were likely.

“For instance, we’ve done work for the police. It wasn’t planned for us to do it in pockets. However, it is clear that police work has been completed.

“You may also see university professors arguing that since we’ve done police, they should do their own right now.” So, something is happening. It was part of the 2009 government-to-government negotiations.

Prof. Briggs’ committee on ASUU strike Nigeria

“As a result, Prof. Briggs’ committee is working on it, consulting with university unions and their employer, the Federal Ministry of Education.” They’ll present something to the government,” he added.

What is FG Saying about ASUU strike Nigeria?

The Nigerian government, said is now working on suggestions to settle the ASUU strike, including a new program in which colleges apply a different means of earning revenue.

Emeka Nwajiuba, a former Minister of State for Education and a presidential candidate for the All Progressives Congress (APC), stated this, adding that alternate financial arrangements are required for university autonomy.