•We’ll soon release N23bn for allowances, says minister
From Magnus Eze, Fred Itua, Abuja
Hope of an early truce between the Federal Government and university lecturers was dashed, yesterday, as a meeting to resolve the face-off that has entered its fifth day was deadlocked.
The national headquarters of the Acadamic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) had declared a “total, comprehensive and indefinite industrial action” on Monday to press for demands contained in the 2009 and 2013 agreement it signed with the Federal Government, which has not been implemented.
Issues in the agreement are funding for the revitalisation of public universities, earned academic allowances, registration of Nigerian universities pension management company, university staff school and non-payment of salaries among others.
The strike has paralysed academic activities in most of the university campuses across the country with ASUU vowing not to back down until it demands were met.
Yesterday, at the meeting called by Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige, government could not persuade the aggrieved lecturers to call off the industrial action. Though FG made some concessions, ASUU President, Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi told newsmen that the union’s delegation would have to go back to their members before reverting to government in a week.
“The government has made some offers in the issues we have raised and we have taken copious note of their offers and we have to get back to our members and make all the information available to them for them to consider and advise us. And based on their position, we will come back to government hopefully within the next one week.”
He declined to go into specifics, explaining that the offers were for their members. He also would not say whether the strike would be called off before then.
“The leadership of the union did not call the strike, our members called the strike and they will decide when to suspend the strike. So, when our members decide otherwise, it will be (called) off,” he said.
Ngige said though the meeting was brief, it touched on various issues, noting that government had been on its toes to resolve the issue and ensure that students resumed for their degree and promotion examinations.
“Within the last 48 hours, government has been working. The Minister of Education, Minister of Finance, Attorney General of the Federation and we have taken some government position which we have communicated to ASUU for them to take back to their members to see if that can be adequate enough for them to call off the strike. The major issue is that we want the strike called off so that our children in school can write their degree and promotion exams. ASUU graciously said they would come back to us on a date within the next one week. It will not be later than one week so that we then take it from there,” Ngige stated.
The minister, who said it was not period for apportioning blames, admitted that certain conditions agreed in their meeting last November could not be met because of some developments.
He, however, noted that the Wale Bakalakin Committee was already addressing the issues in contention.
As part of move to resolve the crisis, government has agreed to release the balance of N23 billion Earned Allowances to the striking lecturers.
Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, stated this in Abuja at a meeting with the Senate Committee on Tertiary Education and TETFund.
He pointed out that the Ministry of Finance has promised to undertake a forensic audit of the N30 billion allowance earlier released to the lecturers, bringing the total to N53 billion.
“They (lecturers) asked for N23 billion to be paid. But we said the condition for that N23 billion to be released was for them to account for the N30 billion they had taken, which is a total of N53 billion. And they were not able to account for it.
“The Minister of Finance undertook to do the audit from the ministry. And we agreed that the result will be known in six months. During that six months, government undertook to be paying them N1.5 billion each month during the time they are waiting for this,” Adamu told the committee.
He said the Ministry of Finance has already approved the release of the funds but not yet cash backed.
“Probably, by Monday, they will be able to receive the cheque. And we will do forensic audit on the entire N53billion,” he assured.
While expressing optimism that the industrial action would be called off within the next one week, the minister said the request for TSA exemption would not be granted.
On the registration of Nigerian Universities Pension Management Company, Adamu said this would be resolved with the Pension Commission in the next one week.
He blamed the non-payment of salaries on the decision of federal universities to illegally recruit staff, without recourse to the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).
This, he said, has partially affected government’s effort to eliminate thousands of ghost workers through thorough personnel verification exercise and salary payment process.
“For instance, a university can just decide to go and recruit 50 people. And IPPIS is not aware. So, what they are going to get is they are going to get the money they got last month. And it will not be sufficient for them. They normally spread it among the entire staff. Let’s say they pay 70 percent to 80 percent but that is their fault. So, institutions, we said, must now stop doing that. And they accepted,” Adamu noted.
Chairman of the Senate committee, Barau Jubril, expressed confidence that the minister would resolve the issues with the striking lecturers as soon as possible.
The lawmaker pleaded with the lecturers to call off the strike while negotiation continues. The Union was not represented at the meeting.