ASUU: FG Releases N40bn Academic Allowances

Chris Ngige

The government has released N40billion for the payment of earned academic allowances for varsity lecturers and earned allowances for non-academic staff.

Also, the government may release N30 billion revitalisation funds to varsities by the end of this month.

Of the N40 billion, about N10 billion was voted for the payment of earned allowances of members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SANU), Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU) and technologists.

Although the non-academic staff have threatened strike over the sharing formula by the National Universities Commission (NUC), the government said when a similar payment was made in 2019, they got N8 billion.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr. Chris Ngige, who gave the update said the Federal Government has started paying the outstanding salaries of the lecturers in a “staggered system” because every 31st December of each year, all outstanding recurrent budget (including personnel salaries) is mopped up into the Treasury.

“We paid ASUU members from January to June 2020. The salary arrears outstanding were from July to December and because of mop up into the Treasury, we decided to stagger the payment.

“So far, we have paid July and August salary arrears in December, we will pay September and October with their January salaries as one tranche in January; and November/ December in February alongside their monthly salaries since they have resumed in their offices and research centres.”

The Minister also confirmed that about “N40billion has been paid as earned allowances to academic and non-academic staff in the universities.

“In 2019, the non-academic staff got N8billion as earned allowances but this time around, the government released N10billion for their allowances.”

Notwithstanding, the Minister said: “I will invite the leaders of SSANU, NASU and technologists for dialogue to arrest their strike.

“I believe if we sit down with them for consultations, they will appreciate our position. We cannot afford to shut down our universities again.

“Their letter or notice of strike has not reached my table but we will engage them in dialogue on all their demands. Fortunately, I am one of the parents affected by strike action in universities. All my children are studying in different universities in the country.”

Regarding the N30billion revitalisation funds demanded by ASUU, Ngige said: “by the end of January, the government will pay.”