The interactive meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) aimed at evaluating the implementation of the Memorandum of Action(MOA) entered into by the parties has ended in Abuja with a task on ASUU to revert to its members to get proper update on extent of inconsistencies in payment of their salaries
Addressing Journalists after the meeting, the Minister of Labour and Employment , Senator Chris Ngige said the meeting evaluated seven key issues, with both parties expressing satisfaction with the implementation stages of what he described as“work in progress. ”
The Minister said some of the items in the MOA were nearly done hundred percent within the timeline.
He explained that the National Information Technology Development Agency(NITDA) was directed to expedite action on the integrity test on the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) which if successful, would eliminate the challenges posed by the peculiarities of the university system to the current payment platform.
The Minister further said government has also paid the sum of N30billion as the University Revitalisation Fund as contained in the MOA since January 2021.
The money according to him, is still lodged with the Central Bank of Nigeria, pending the conclusion of the audit report of the Implementation Committee on the use of previous funds disbursement to universities by the Ministry of Education and the National University Commission.
“The report has been turned in , deliberated upon and both the Education Ministry and the NUC have promised to write to the Accountant General of the Federation next week for the release of the money to the NEEDS Special Account for onward disbursement to universities shortly,” he said.
The Minister stated that the monies would be paid to successful universities based on the evaluation report of the committee while those with shortcomings would be made to make up before accessing the fund.
He further disclosed that apart from the N40billion Earned Allowance which the Federal Government has already paid, the Budget Office of the Federation showed evidence that N22B Earned Allowances for year 2021 was already captured in the 2021 supplementary budget of the federation, and would soon be accessed.
“ On the proliferation of State universities , a bill has been sent to the National Assembly by the NUC to strengthen its arms in terms of delisting universities where funding and other parameters are inadequate,” Ngige said.
The Minister hinted that ASUU should revert to its members so as to have update on extent of the inconsistencies in payment.
” We expressed our displeasure that these things are happening – amputation of salaries, not-too-clear, foggy things happening over peoples monthly emoluments. So we have asked IPPIS and ASUU to work together over this ,” the Minister said.
He said the evidence was presented that promotion arrears have been paid to some universities while the Budget Office of the federation and the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation were asked to liaise with ASUU to sort out the rest.
The Minister noted that the standing committee on the matter has been expended to include National Income Salaries and Wages Commission .
“A situation where a university professor is paid N107, 000 out of mistake or over deduction is unacceptable,” Ngige declared.
Commending ASUU, the Minister further expressed shock that the National Association of Resident Doctors(NARD) would embark on another strike after holding a similar successful evaluation meeting with him, last week.
The President of ASUU Professor Emmanuel Osodeke expressed satisfaction with the outcome and promised ASUU would reach out to members.
Relevant Ministries and agencies were represented at the meeting, including the Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Peter Tarfa and the Executive Secretary of the National Universities Commission, Professor Rasheed Abubakar.
These developments were made known in a statement signed and made available to journalists by the Federal Ministry of Labour , Deputy Director Press and Public Relations , Charles Akpan.
Lateefah Ibrahim
