ASUU Strike: FG Agrees To Give Striking Lecturers N30bn

The Federal Government has agreed to release N20 billion for
revitalisation of public universities until Minister of Education,
Adamu Adamu, makes a request for additional funding.

The government also agreed to release N30 billion as Earned
Academic Allowance to the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) to call off their strike.

The money would be paid in tranches between May 2021 and
February 2022.

The N30 billion is for all unions in public universities in the
country.

These were some of the agreements reached at Thursday’s meeting
between government side led by Minister of Labour and Employment,
Chris Ngige.

The meeting however failed to agree on the Integrated Personnel
Payroll System (IPPIS).

ASUU insisted the shortfall of salaries of its members be paid
through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information
System (GIFMIS) until its University Transparency and
Accountability Solution (UTAS) was fully operational but the
Federal Government team refused.

This led to a stalemate on the controversial Payroll system.

The meeting, which started around 3:15pm, was still ongoing as
of the time of this report.

The meeting broke out after 30 minutes to allow ASUU considers
government offers.

The government team was led by Ngige, his Minister of State,
Festus Keyamo and others while ASUU delegation was led by its
President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi.

Before the meeting went into closed session, Ngige said he was
hopeful the meeting will be fruitful.

Ngige said: “For the past one week, we have all been on our
toes, we have been meeting and we pray that this meeting will yield
some good fruits. We don’t take very great pleasure, to the fact
that the children who are supposed to be in school are being
recruited into the #EndSARS, #EndStrike, #EndSWAT and all the kind
of situations.

“As much as possible, we will try to see how we can meet
ourselves halfway, so that we can resolve this crisis to the
benefits of all and the country at large.”

ASUU President, Ogunyemi said there was need for everyone to
look at the issues affecting the university system as a national
emergency in the country.

He commended the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Ngige and
Accountant-General of the Federation Idris Ahmed among others for
making it possible for the discussion.

Prof. Ogunyemi said: “We came here with an open mind and at the
same time we need to put it on record that our members out there
expect much from this meeting.”

ASUU commenced an indefinite strike on March 23, 2020 citing
failure on the part of the federal government to honour the
Memorandum of Action it signed in 2019.

The Federal Government has agreed to release N20 billion for
revitalisation of public universities until Minister of Education,
Adamu Adamu, makes a request for additional funding.

The government also agreed to release N30 billion as Earned
Academic Allowance to the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU) to call off their strike.

The money would be paid in tranches between May 2021 and
February 2022.

The N30 billion is for all unions in public universities in the
country.

These were some of the agreements reached at Thursday’s meeting
between government side led by Minister of Labour and Employment,
Chris Ngige.

The meeting however failed to agree on the Integrated Personnel
Payroll System (IPPIS).

ASUU insisted the shortfall of salaries of its members be paid
through the Government Integrated Financial Management Information
System (GIFMIS) until its University Transparency and
Accountability Solution (UTAS) was fully operational but the
Federal Government team refused.

This led to a stalemate on the controversial Payroll system.

The meeting, which started around 3:15pm, was still ongoing as
of the time of this report.

The meeting broke out after 30 minutes to allow ASUU considers
government offers.

The government team was led by Ngige, his Minister of State,
Festus Keyamo and others while ASUU delegation was led by its
President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi.

Before the meeting went into closed session, Ngige said he was
hopeful the meeting will be fruitful.

Ngige said: “For the past one week, we have all been on our
toes, we have been meeting and we pray that this meeting will yield
some good fruits. We don’t take very great pleasure, to the fact
that the children who are supposed to be in school are being
recruited into the #EndSARS, #EndStrike, #EndSWAT and all the kind
of situations.

“As much as possible, we will try to see how we can meet
ourselves halfway, so that we can resolve this crisis to the
benefits of all and the country at large.”

ASUU President, Ogunyemi said there was need for everyone to
look at the issues affecting the university system as a national
emergency in the country.

He commended the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Ngige and
Accountant-General of the Federation Idris Ahmed among others for
making it possible for the discussion.

Prof. Ogunyemi said: “We came here with an open mind and at the
same time we need to put it on record that our members out there
expect much from this meeting.”

ASUU commenced an indefinite strike on March 23, 2020 citing
failure on the part of the federal government to honour the
Memorandum of Action it signed in 2019.