FG: ASUU, poly lecturers, others to get N34bn minimum wage arrears

The Federal Government, on Tuesday, said it would spend about N34 billion on the ongoing payment of minimum wage consequential adjustments to the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and their counterparts in polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, made this known while fielding questions on the prolonged ASUU strike from newsmen in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to Ngige, the universities would get N23.5bn, polytechnics would receive N6bn, while Colleges of Education would get N4bn; totalling about N34bn.

ASUU and the Academic Staff Union of Polytechnics (ASUP) are currently on strike following the inability of the Federal Government to meet their demands including the payment of minimum wage arrears and release of revitalisation funds, among others.

While ASUU commenced its industrial action on February 14, 2022, ASUP is currently on an initial two-week warning strike.

Speaking on the ASUU strike, the minister said the committees set up during the last tripartite plus meeting of the government and university-based unions were given a fortnight to turn in their report, noting that the unions were still working.

He added that the reports of the committees were being expected this weekend.

Ngige said: “Those committees are working. The one on NITDA is testing the three platforms, the government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS), 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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“They started the testing last Thursday. The National Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission (NSWIC) has issued their amendment circulars. The unions also have copies to take care of responsibility and hazard allowances wherever it has not been properly captured.”

The minister added that there may be wage adjustments as the government intensifies efforts to streamline wages through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

“We have done police for example. It wasn’t envisaged that we should do it in pockets. But you can see that police has been done. You can also see university teachers saying that their own should be done immediately since we have done police.

“So, something is being done. It was part of the 2009 negotiation they had with the government then. So, the committee of Prof. Briggs is on it, discussing with the university unions and their employer, the Federal Ministry of Education. They will bring up something for government to see.

“There are other people. The doctors are complaining about brain drain, this and that. Their hazard allowance has to be touched and it was touched by close to 300 percent. From N5000 paid across board for each person, the least person in the health sector is getting N15000 while the big ones are getting N45000. So, that is the quantum leap,” he added.

Ngige, however, appealed to ASUU and other university-based unions to suspend their strike so that academic activities could resume in public universities across the country.