Reps reveals N170bn welfare package to assuage varsities lecturers

In a bid to forestall a possible round of industrial action by the Academic Staff Union of Universities, the leadership of the House of Representatives has disclosed the disbursement of a N170 billion welfare package for the lecturers.

This was contained in a statement issued on Monday by the Reps Speaker, Femi Gbajabiamila, in Abuja, as part of resolutions of the outstanding issues between the Federal Government and ASUU.

According to Gbajabiamila, the FG has also included an additional N300 billion in revitalisation funds to improve the infrastructure and operations of federal universities.

He said, “When the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) called off their industrial action three weeks ago, it meant that academic activities could resume in our nation’s public universities, and students could return to their academic pursuits after the prolonged interruption. This decision was rightly heralded nationwide as the correct decision.

“Since then, the Executive and the House of Representatives have worked to address the issues that led to the strike. We are currently working on the 2023 Appropriations Bill, which includes the sum of
one hundred and seventy billion naira (N170,000,000,000.00) to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers. The Bill also includes additional three hundred billion naira (N300,000,000,000.00) in revitalisation funds to improve the infrastructure and operations of federal universities.”

Gbajabiamila further revealed that the incorporation of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) into the Integrated Payroll and
Personnel Information System (IPPIS) is being facilitated by stakeholders to redress part of the lecturers’ demands.

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“Furthermore, the House of Representatives has convened the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF), the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and other stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS). This effort is being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary
Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman,” the statement reads.

Regarding the payment of half-salaries for the month of October, the Reps Speaker said this was necessary in order to avoid setting a bad precedent which might encourage disruptive industrial actions by various associations in the future.

“The Executive position that it is not obligated to pay salaries to lecturers for the time spent on strike is premised on the law and the government’s legitimate interest in preventing moral hazard and discouraging disruptive industrial actions.

“Nonetheless, interventions have been made to explore the possibility of partial payments to the lecturers. We look forward to a favourable consideration by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR who has manifested his desire to what is prudent and necessary to resolve all outstanding issues,” Gbajabiamila said.

Last week, the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment has refuted media reports, alleging bias in the payment of salaries of members of the Academic Staff Union of Nigeria (ASUU).

The ministry further dismissed ASUU claims that their members were paid half their salary for the month of October.

Olajide Oshundun, the head of press and public relations at the Labour Ministry, claimed in a news release that both claims were flagrantly false, deceptive, and factually distorted.

The message clarified that, contrary to what was widely reported in the media, ASUU members were really given their full wage for October.

The ministry also claimed that pro-rata was used since it is impossible to pay for work that has not been completed.

“They were paid in pro rata to the number of days that they worked in October, counting from the day that they suspended their industrial action. Pro-rata was done because you cannot pay them for work not done. Everybody’s hands are tied,” Oshundun noted.

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