ASUU agrees to suspend strike, FG to pay Feb-June salary arrears before Dec 31

• Govt agrees to up payment to N70bn

Respite may soon come the way of public University students in Nigeria as the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has agreed to call off its nine-month strike which has grounded academic activities in the public universities.

The agreement to suspend the strike was made on Friday by the ASUU leadership at a meeting with the Federal Government team led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige.

It was gathered that at the end of a closed-door meeting between the two parties on Friday, the Ministry of Labour and Employment, government agreed to raise payment for Earned Academic Allowance and revitalisation to N70 billion.

An impeccable source of the ministry who crave anonymity hinted that ASUU agreed to suspend strike, while the government pledged to pay N40 billion as the Earned Allowance and N30 billion for the revitalisation of the university system bringing the total payment to N70 billion.

The official noted ASUU members welcomed the government pledge to settle university lecturers’ salary arrears between February and June on or before December 31.

Recalled that government at last week meeting accepted to exempt the varsity teachers from Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) pending the approval of their proposed payment system, the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) that is undergoing integrity test in various agencies of government.

Speaking after the meeting where ASUU agrees to suspend strike, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, who led government’s delegation, told newsmen that the meeting was fruitful; adding that the government made a proposal to ASUU which it would take back to its members.

“Many issues were discussed at the meeting including salary shortfall, the payment system and revitalization of the university system. I am positive that all the issues would be resolved at our next meeting,” the minister added.

However, the ASUU President, Professor Biodun Ogunyemi, did not answer questions from journalists as he simply said everything the minister said was correct.

ASUU and government delegations promised to get back to their respective principals and organs respectively and report back in the next meeting.