ASUU Strike: Adamu Says, FG Can’t Pay Unaffordable Salary

• FG Constitutes Committee to Review Recommendations of Briggs’ Renegotiation Committee

The Federal Government has said that it cannot agree to a percentage salary increase for the Academic Staff Union of Universities, which it would not be able to implement.

The Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, on Tuesday, said the government could only afford 23.5 percent salary increase for lecturers, while a 35% increment would be enjoyed by professors.

The minister also noted that the President, Muhammadu Buhari warned against signing agreements that the government would not be able to meet.

Adamu disclosed this while speaking during the meeting with vice-chancellors and other stakeholders in the university system.

The minister said, “The Federal Government can only afford a 23.5% salary increase for all categories of the workforce in Federal Universities, except for the professorial cadre which will enjoy a 35% upward review.

“Henceforth, allowances that pertain to ad-hoc duties of the academic and non-academic staff shall be paid as of when due by the Governing Councils of Universities to which such services are rendered and to the staff who perform them.

“That a sum of 150 billion Naira shall be provided for in the 2023 Budget as funds for the revitalisation of Federal Universities, to be disbursed to the institutions in the First Quarter of the year, and that a sum of 50 billion Naira shall be provided for in the 2023 Budget for the payment of outstanding arrears of earned academic allowances, to be paid in the First Quarter of the year”.

Meanwhile, the federal government has constituted another committee to look into the recommendations of the Prof. Nimi Briggs’ committee in charge of the renegotiation of the 2009 agreement between the government and the university-based staff unions which include the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (NASU), among others.

The 14-man committee comprise some pro-chancellors, vice-chancellors and other stakeholders.

The spokesperson for the Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, who briefed journalists after the meeting, noted that the committee would be chaired by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu.

Adamu on Tuesday inaugurated the 14-man committee to look into the recommendations concerning the resolution of the lingering ASUU strike.

According to Goong, the members of the committee include Prof. Olu Obafemi, Prof. Nimi Briggs, Udo Udoma, Bashir Dalhatu, Prof. Kayode Adebowale,(University of Ibadan) Prof. Kabir Bala (Ahmadu Bello University, Zaria), Prof. Lilian Salami (University of Benin), Prof. Charles Igwe (University of Nigeria Nsukka), Registrar of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), Prof. Ishaq Oloyede; representatives of the Academy of Letters, Science, Medicine and Social Sciences.