ASUU RESPONDS TO THE PAYMENT OF SALARIES WITHHELD FOR TWO MONTHS

Babatunji wusu –

The Federal Government has paid two months’ salary instead of the seven and a half months’ salary that were withheld, which has angered the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Remember Four of the eight months’ worth of salary that ASUU members had been denied were released in October 2023, thanks to President Bola Tinubu’s approval.

When the former president Muhammadu Buhari’s administration used the “No Work, No Pay” policy against ASUU for going on an eight-month strike in 2022, the paychecks were withheld.

In the past two days, a few union members have begun to get an amputated two months’ worth of pay instead of the seven and a half months’ worth of earnings that were withheld.

Comrade Salahu Mohammed Lawal, the zonal coordinator of ASUU Abuja, stated during a news conference on Monday that the union is extremely disappointed with the two months’ salary payment.

He said: “This is far below the expectation of the union and further weakens the morale of our members and the union’s trust in government promises.

“We use this medium to call on all that are involved in this inglorious act to do the needful with regards lecturers’ withheld salaries as there is nothing more to prove.”

In order to meet its obligations, Lawal encouraged the federal government to complete the Prof. Nimi Briggs Committee on Renegotiated Agreement, sign it, and put it into effect right once. It also urged the government to pay all delayed wages, promotion arrearages, and Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) right away.

He added: “It is obvious that the Nigerian government is known for not fulfilling their promises as Federal and State governments are owing various allowances and arrears all over our campuses.

“The promised payment of arrears of Earned Academic Allowances (EAAs) which as captured in 2023 budget has not been paid. It might interest you to know that promotion arrears are being owed lecturers as far back as 2018 on some campuses. It is high time to pay up what you are owing and stop being a bad debtor.”

Lawal also urged the federal and state governments to halt the expansion of institutions, bemoaning the fact that more were being founded, caricatureing the university system, despite the fact that the federal and state governments could not sufficiently fund the now operating universities.