Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu has said he was working with the directive of the president not to sign an agreement it will be unable to implement.
Adamu disclosed this on Tuesday, September 6, 2022 when he presented the position paper of the government during a meeting between the Federal Government, Vice-Chancellors and Pro-Chancellors of Nigerian public universities held in Abuja.
He said, “in all we have been doing, our guide has been the directive of Mr President Muhammadu Buhari, namely, that while the unions should be persuaded to return to work, Government should not repeat the past mistakes of accepting to sign an agreement it will be unable to implement.
“Government should not, in the guise of resolving current challenges, sow seeds for future disruptions”.
The Minister further disclosed that the Federal Government was considering an upward review of the salary of tertiary institutions’ lecturers by 23.5 per cent and those of professors by 35 per cent.
“The Federal Government can only afford a 23.5 per cent salary increase for all category of the workforce in federal universities, except for the professorial cadre which will enjoy a 35 per cent 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.
“A sum of N150 billion shall be provided for in the 2023 budget as funds for the revitalisation of federal universities, to be disbursed to the institutions in the first quarter of the year.
“Also a sum of N50 billion 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 2023,” he said.
Adamu said the four university-based unions, had addressed separate letters to the Chairman of the Government Re-negotiating Team rejecting government’s offer.
He said they described it as inadequate to meet their respective demands. He also said he met the unions to explain the prevailing economic situation limiting the ability of government to accede to all their demands.
ASUU embarked on strike on 14th February, 2022 over the non implementation of agreements reached between Government and the Union on
funding for the revitalisation of Public Universities; payment of earned academic allowances; reconstitution of the FGN/ASUU 2009 Renegotiation Committee.
Others include: University Transparency Accountability Solutions, UTAS; release of White Paper on the reports of the Visitation Panels to Universities; proliferation of State Universities, and withheld salaries and non-remittance of check-off dues.
