ASUU Strike: Hope for Nigerian Students as FG Set to Pay N34 B to Union

• Nigerian public Universities and Polytechnics have been shut down for over 3 months following the ASUP and ASUU strike actions. 

• The Federal Government, through the Federal Ministry of Education and the federal ministry of Labour and Employment has been working to put an end to the industrial action.

• N34 billion has been mapped out to be shared among ASUU, ASUP, and COEASU.

In a recent move to suspend the ongoing ASUU strike, the Federal Government has set N34 billion aside to be used for the payment of lectures’ minimum wage arrears.

This was revealed on Tuesday by Sen. Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment while speaking with newsmen on the progress of the ongoing negotiations with the lecturers. 

According to the minister, Sen. Chris Ngige the money would be shared among the striking ASUU and ASUP lecturers and also their counterparts in the College of Education. 

Speaking on how the money would be rationed, Ngige stated that university lecturers will receive N23.5 billion, while their counterparts in Polytechnics and College of Education will receive N6 billion and N4 billion respectively. 

In addition to that, he said that committees were set up during the previous meeting with the striking lecturers and a report is expected to be released soon.

Here are his exact words to newsmen in Abuja:

“Those committees are working. The one on NITDA is testing the three platforms, the government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS). Also, the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) of ASUU and the Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (UPPPS) of the non-teaching staff.”

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Ngige, however, warned that there might be wage adjustments as the government steps up its efforts to streamline wages through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

We are yet to know the striking lecturers’ take on this as they are still silent about the recent development.

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