Amidst lingering strike, the Federal Government has dangled what look like carrots particularly a 23.5 percent salary increase for lecturers, and a 35 per cent increment for professors to assuage them.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu made the announcement on Tuesday September 6, at a meeting with Vice-Chancellors and other stakeholders in the university system.
This is as the government has set up a 14-man tactical committee to review its ‘no work, no pay’ stance against striking members of the Academic Staff Union Of Universities.
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Adamu also stated that President Muhammadu Buhari warned against signing agreements that the federal government won’t be able to meet.
The Minister said, ”The Federal Government can only afford a 23.5% salary increase for all category 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 at 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 revitalization 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 areas of earned academic allowances, to be paid in the First Quarter of the year,” he added.
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has set up a committee to review its ‘no work, no pay’ stance against striking ASUU members.
This followed a meeting by the Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu with Pro-Chancellors, Chairmen of Councils as well as Vice Chancellors of universities.
The meeting held behind closed-doors was part of efforts to resolve the seven-month industrial action by lecturers of public universities.
The Director Press and Public Relations at the Federal Ministry of Education, Ben Goong, stated this to journalists after the meeting which lasted for over two hours.
Goong said the committee is to also look into issues of increase in the salaries of the university lecturers and come up with workable solutions.
The spokesman for the ministry did not give a specific timeline for the 14-man committee. He, however, said the committee is expected to come up with its findings in no distant time.
He said the committee’s report will be forwarded to President Muhammadu Buhari for action.
Asked if this committee’s work has jettisoned the recommendations of the Professor Nimi Briggs-led committee earlier set up by the federal government, he simply said no.
