ASUU rejected Nigerian govt’s offer of 23.5% salary increase – Education minister

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu said on Tuesday the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) rejected a 23.5 percent salary increase offered by the Federal Government for staff in the nation’s federal universities.

The minister stated this while highlighting efforts by the federal government to end the seven-month strike by the varsity lecturers at a press conference in Abuja.

The federal government met with vice-chancellors, pro-chancellors and other stakeholders in the university system on the current dispute with ASUU on Tuesday in Abuja.

He said the government presented to the union the 23.5 percent salary increase for all categories of the staff in the university system except for those in the professorial cadre who would enjoy a 35 percent upward review of their salaries.

The minister added that the government also assured ASUU that a sum of N150 billion would be set aside in the 2023 budget for the revitalization of the universities.

This, according to him, will be disbursed to the institutions in the first quarter of 2023.

READ ALSO: Nigerian govt sets up fresh 14-man committee to examine ASUU demands

The minister stressed that President Muhammadu Buhari warned the ministry and other government agencies negotiating with ASUU against signing difficult agreements with the union.

Adamu said: “The federal government further promised ASUU that N50 billion that will be provided for in the 2023 budget for the payment of outstanding areas of earned academic allowances, to be paid in Q1 2023.

“However, ASUU and three other striking unions in the university described the offer as inadequate and rejected it.”

The varsity lecturers, who are pushing for the a review of the condition of service, revitalisation of public universities, and adoption of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) as an alternative to the Integrated Payroll and Personal Information System (IPPIS) for payment of salaries, among others, extended the strike indefinitely last Monday.

The industrial action entered its 204th day on Tuesday.

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