Varsity Teachers Get Two-Month Salary Arrears

*ASUU may call off strike today

The Federal Government has commenced part payment of the salary
arrears of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU).

The payment is part of the carrots being offered by the
government to make university teachers return to the classrooms
after almost 10 months on strike.

It was learnt last night that ASUU leaders will today address a
news conference, where, according to a source, the lecturers may
suspend their strike.

A professor in one of the federal universities in the North
confirmed the development on Tuesday. He said most of them received
salaries for only two months out of the over six to eight months
they are being owed.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the government began the
payment after last Thursday’s meeting with the leadership of
ASUU.

ASUU had in March directed its members to embark on the strike
over government’s insistence on their inclusion in the Integrated
Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and
non-implementation of previous agreements But, President Muhammadu
Buhari ordered the payment of their withheld February to June
salaries on compassionate grounds to mitigate the effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nation’s source, however, hinted that ASUU might not direct
its members to resume work until all the arrears were paid.

He said: “We are praying they agree at the meeting (between
government and ASUU yesterday) since they paid us only two months.
Today (yesterday), they met and I prayed they agree. Because most
of our members said they (government) need to pay everything before
resumption. That is where we are now.

“We are saying that they should pay four (months) they are owing
us. If they pay four, it will remain only one, and then, may be,
December; we will minus December which is the sixth one.

“But now, they have paid only two months and promised that in
January 2021, the payment of the remaining arrears will be made.
The issue is that we don’t trust this government to keep to its
promise.

“The government didn’t even allow us to agree to collect the two
months. They just decided to pay into our accounts.”

A Federal Government team, led by the Minister of Labour and
Employment, Sen Chris Ngige, met again with the leadership of ASUU
yesterday to persuade the lecturers to call of the strike.

Details of the meeting were not yet known as of press time.

An ASUU leader at the meeting lambasted Ngige for rushing to the
press to announce that the government had met 98 percent of ASUU’s
demands.

Ngige had told reporters at his Alor country home in Anambra
State that universities will reopen next month.

But the ASUU leader who described the minister as crafty, also
insisted that the lecturers would not suspend the strike until
their arrears were paid in full.

The source said: “You can see the trick. Now he (Ngige) has gone
to the press to say they (government) has met 98 percent of our
demands so we have no reason not to resume. That’s the news today
(yesterday).

“Ngige is a very crafty person but he doesn’t know that he is
joking with ASUU. I doubt it we will we resume if they (government)
fails to pay all the arrears of salaries, I doubt it.

“He has gone to the press to say they (government) has met 98
percent of our demands except ASUU doesn’t want to resume.”

Ngige, at yesterday’s meeting with the ASUU leaders, assured
that the prolonged strike would soon end.

Before the meeting went into a closed door, the minister told
reporters that those who are wishing for an #EndASUU protest, will
be disappointed.

He spoke against the backdrop of the ultimatum purportedly
issued by Nigerian students to embark on protest if the ASUU strike
was not resolved by January 15.

Ngige said though he had not received such a letter from the
students, even if there was one, the government would disappoint
all those wishing for the protest as all the matters in dispute
must have been resolved by January 15.

His words: “Those who want to use the EndASUU protest to destroy
public and private property or lecturers homes will be
disappointed.

“I am optimistic that the meeting will produce the final result
that will make everybody happy.

“This meeting is fruitful, just like the past ones. This is a
journey and the facts are that we have achieved a lot, on both
sides, the government and ASUU.

“This journey has been tortuous, but I see light at the end of
the tunnel,”

Ngige informed ASUU leaders that he communicated with the
government, side before the meeting and got assurance from them
that most of the grey areas have been dealt with.

“We are hopeful that ASUU will then take the report of what we
achieved today to their members. We allow social dialogue in line
with ILO conventions for all employers and employees, to guide this
meeting,” he added.

President of ASUU, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, said they came for the
meeting with all sense of responsibility to resolve the crisis in
the interest of the students.

He, however, reiterated that only the National Executive Council
of ASUU could announce the suspension of the strike.

*ASUU may call off strike today

The Federal Government has commenced part payment of the salary
arrears of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities
(ASUU).

The payment is part of the carrots being offered by the
government to make university teachers return to the classrooms
after almost 10 months on strike.

It was learnt last night that ASUU leaders will today address a
news conference, where, according to a source, the lecturers may
suspend their strike.

A professor in one of the federal universities in the North
confirmed the development on Tuesday. He said most of them received
salaries for only two months out of the over six to eight months
they are being owed.

The source, who pleaded anonymity, said the government began the
payment after last Thursday’s meeting with the leadership of
ASUU.

ASUU had in March directed its members to embark on the strike
over government’s insistence on their inclusion in the Integrated
Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) and
non-implementation of previous agreements But, President Muhammadu
Buhari ordered the payment of their withheld February to June
salaries on compassionate grounds to mitigate the effects of the
COVID-19 pandemic.

The Nation’s source, however, hinted that ASUU might not direct
its members to resume work until all the arrears were paid.

He said: “We are praying they agree at the meeting (between
government and ASUU yesterday) since they paid us only two months.
Today (yesterday), they met and I prayed they agree. Because most
of our members said they (government) need to pay everything before
resumption. That is where we are now.

“We are saying that they should pay four (months) they are owing
us. If they pay four, it will remain only one, and then, may be,
December; we will minus December which is the sixth one.

“But now, they have paid only two months and promised that in
January 2021, the payment of the remaining arrears will be made.
The issue is that we don’t trust this government to keep to its
promise.

“The government didn’t even allow us to agree to collect the two
months. They just decided to pay into our accounts.”

A Federal Government team, led by the Minister of Labour and
Employment, Sen Chris Ngige, met again with the leadership of ASUU
yesterday to persuade the lecturers to call of the strike.

Details of the meeting were not yet known as of press time.

An ASUU leader at the meeting lambasted Ngige for rushing to the
press to announce that the government had met 98 percent of ASUU’s
demands.

Ngige had told reporters at his Alor country home in Anambra
State that universities will reopen next month.

But the ASUU leader who described the minister as crafty, also
insisted that the lecturers would not suspend the strike until
their arrears were paid in full.

The source said: “You can see the trick. Now he (Ngige) has gone
to the press to say they (government) has met 98 percent of our
demands so we have no reason not to resume. That’s the news today
(yesterday).

“Ngige is a very crafty person but he doesn’t know that he is
joking with ASUU. I doubt it we will we resume if they (government)
fails to pay all the arrears of salaries, I doubt it.

“He has gone to the press to say they (government) has met 98
percent of our demands except ASUU doesn’t want to resume.”

Ngige, at yesterday’s meeting with the ASUU leaders, assured
that the prolonged strike would soon end.

Before the meeting went into a closed door, the minister told
reporters that those who are wishing for an #EndASUU protest, will
be disappointed.

He spoke against the backdrop of the ultimatum purportedly
issued by Nigerian students to embark on protest if the ASUU strike
was not resolved by January 15.

Ngige said though he had not received such a letter from the
students, even if there was one, the government would disappoint
all those wishing for the protest as all the matters in dispute
must have been resolved by January 15.

His words: “Those who want to use the EndASUU protest to destroy
public and private property or lecturers homes will be
disappointed.

“I am optimistic that the meeting will produce the final result
that will make everybody happy.

“This meeting is fruitful, just like the past ones. This is a
journey and the facts are that we have achieved a lot, on both
sides, the government and ASUU.

“This journey has been tortuous, but I see light at the end of
the tunnel,”

Ngige informed ASUU leaders that he communicated with the
government, side before the meeting and got assurance from them
that most of the grey areas have been dealt with.

“We are hopeful that ASUU will then take the report of what we
achieved today to their members. We allow social dialogue in line
with ILO conventions for all employers and employees, to guide this
meeting,” he added.

President of ASUU, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi, said they came for the
meeting with all sense of responsibility to resolve the crisis in
the interest of the students.

He, however, reiterated that only the National Executive Council
of ASUU could announce the suspension of the strike.