Politics
ASUU gives FG fresh conditions, urges members to continue strike
The Academic Staff Union of Universities has rejected the offer given by the federal government to call off the ongoing strike by the university lecturers.
After the seventh meeting between the two parties on Tuesday, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige said there was evidence by the office of the Accountant-General and the Ministry of Finance indicating that N15.4 billion had been released to public universities.
He also noted that President Muhammadu Buhari had approved N20 billion to offset earned allowances from 2009 to 2012.
Read also: JAMB gives guidelines on UTME registration, warns candidates
But a feedback from the University lecturers shows a rejection in the offer put before them by the government while they listed their new conditions.
While speaking to PREMIUM TIMES on Saturday, the President of ASUU, Mr Biodun Ogunyemi insisted that the government release at least a tranche of N220 billion spread over four quarters of 2019.
He said the government had only offered what he described as “tokenism with respect to outstanding revitalization fund of N1.1 trillion.”
He added that ASUU members demanded that the proposed amount by the government must not be less than the amount released the last time.
Ogunyemi also demanded that government present evidence of the incorporation of these promises in the 2019 budget while giving a timeline to the payment of the balance of the arrears.
Mr Ogunyemi said; “Our members have rejected tokenism with respect to outstanding revitalization fund of N1.1 trillion. They are insisting that government should release at least one tranche of N220 billion spread over four quarters of 2019.
“On earned academic allowances, our members said government’s proposed amount out of the verified balance should not be less than the total amount released last time, while evidence of mainstreaming the allowances into the 2019 budget should be shown. Also, timeline should be attached to payment of the balance of the arrears.
“The revitalization fund and earned academic allowances are the two critical areas on which our members feel strongly about. They expect necessary adjustments on the part of government before they can reconsider their decision on the ongoing strike action
Join the conversation
Support Ripples Nigeria, hold up solutions journalism
Balanced, fearless journalism driven by data comes at huge financial costs.
As a media platform, we hold leadership accountable and will not trade the right to press freedom and free speech for a piece of cake.
If you like what we do, and are ready to uphold solutions journalism, kindly donate to the Ripples Nigeria cause.
Your support would help to ensure that citizens and institutions continue to have free access to credible and reliable information for societal development.
INVESTIGATION: In Kwara, multimillion-naira milk processing plant is abandoned, converted to a chicken outlet
After the government spent millions of naira to establish a milk processing plant in Kwara State that would provided jobs...
SPECIAL REPORT: For Sokoto communities, promise of healthcare is akin to death sentence
In this story, ABDULRASHEED HAMMAD delves into the dire realities of Primary Health Care services in Sokoto State, shedding light...
ICYMI…SPECIAL REPORT: NNPCL hides behind PIA to frustrate disclosure, accountability
Nigeria’s major oil company, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL), in what appears to be a common practice of disregard...
INVESTIGATION: Multi-million naira Ekiti resort center remains uncompleted a decade after
The multimillion-naira project, expected to comprise recreational buildings, now consists of cassava farmland, a bush used for excretion, and a...
SPECIAL REPORT: Torturous experiences of students with disabilities in Oyo tertiary institutions
For students with disabilities in Oyo state-owned tertiary institutions, learning is a torturous and distressing experience, considering the building structures...