ASUU strike: FG to spend N34 billion as minimum wage arrears for lecturers
The Federal Government has announced a bold step toward ending the tertiary education strike, stating that it will spend N34 billion as arrears of Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustments in the education sector effective from 2019.
This was disclosed by Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige on Tuesday while speaking with newsmen about ongoing negotiations with the lecturers.
The minister stated that Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustments beneficiaries include members of the striking ASUU and their counterparts in the polytechnics and Colleges of Education.
What the minister is saying
The Minister stated that universities will receive N23.5 billion, the polytechnics N6 billion and the Colleges of Education N4 billion, bringing the total sum to N33.5 billion.
He also disclosed that Committees have been set up during the last meeting based on this and a report is expected to be released soon.
“Those committees are working. The one on NITDA is testing the three platforms, the government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
“Also the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) of ASUU and the Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (UPPPS) of the non-teaching staff.
“They have started the testing last Thursday. The National Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission (NSWIC) has issued their amendment circulars.
“The unions also have copies to take care of responsibility and hazard allowances wherever it has not been properly captured,” he said.
Ngige assured that there might likely be wage adjustments as the government intensified efforts to streamline wages through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.
“For example, we have done for police . It wasn’t envisaged that we should do it in pockets. But you can see that police has been done.
“You can also see university teachers saying that their own should be done immediately since we have done police. So, something is being done. It was part of the 2009 negotiation they had with the government then.
“So, the committee of Prof. Briggs is on it, discussing with the university unions and their employer, the Federal Ministry of Education. They will bring up something for government to see,“ he added.
