Another Strike?: ASUU Awaits Release Of N40b Earned Allowance

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has said it is awaiting the release of the N40 billion earned allowance the Federal Government promised the union, 12 days after it called off the nine-month strike.

The government, it said, has also failed to continue payment of the withheld salaries of its members that are not enrolled on the controversial Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) after paying two months in December.

ASUU called of its strike on December 23, 2020, after a new deal with the government team, led by Labour and Employment Minster Chris Ngige, on December 22.

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As a sign of good faith, the government paid two months of the six months withheld salaries of ASUU members, since March last year, leaving four months arrears.

According to the Memorandum of Action signed between the government and ASUU leadership at the meeting on December 22, the Federal Government agreed to release N40 billion to ASUU as earned allowance on or before December 31, 2020.

The government, through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation was also supposed to continue the payment of the withheld salaries of the union members after Ngige got a special waiver from President Muhammadu Buhari to that effect.

But an ASUU leader told newsmen on Monday in Abuja that the government had missed two timelines in the December 22, 2020 MoA with the failure to pay the N40 billion EAA and another tranche of the withheld four months salaries.

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The ASUU chieftain said: “Some timelines have been missed already. EAA was supposed to be paid on or before December 31, 2020. It was not paid.

“Another two months (withheld salary) was supposed to be paid with the December salary. The December salary has been paid to others but academic workers who are not registered on IPPIS have not received anything.”