Nationwide Strike: ASUU And Others To Get N34bn Minimum Wage Arrears – FG 

Universities would receive N23.5 billion, polytechnics N6 billion, and colleges of education N4 billion, totaling N33.5 billion, according to Mr Ngige.

By Omotayo Olutekunbi

The Federal Government has announced that the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other university unions will receive N34 billion as minimum wage arrears.

On Tuesday in Abuja, Senator Chris Ngige, the Minister of Labour and Employment, stated that this was done to address the sector’s persistent issue.

Members of the striking ASUU and their equivalents in polytechnics and colleges of education, according to Mr Ngige, would benefit from the Minimum Wage Consequential Adjustments.

Universities would receive N23.5 billion, polytechnics N6 billion, and colleges of education N4 billion, totaling N33.5 billion, according to Mr Ngige.

While providing an update on the current strike, the minister stated that committees were formed during the most recent tripartite meeting of the government and university-based unions.

He claimed they had been given a fortnight to submit their report and that they were still working on it, with committee reports due by the end of the week.

“Those committees are working. The one on NITDA is testing the three platforms, the government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS),” Mr Ngige said. “Also the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) of ASUU and the Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (UPPPS) of the non-teaching staff.”

Mr Ngige added that the National Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission (NSWIC) had issued their amendment circulars and the unions had to take care of responsibility and hazard allowances wherever it has not been properly captured.

As the government stepped up efforts to streamline pay through the National Salaries, Incomes, and Wages Commission, Mr Ngige guaranteed that compensation adjustments were likely.

“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,” Mr Ngige said. “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.”

The minister has called to ASUU and other university-based unions to cease their strike so that academic activity in public institutions across the country could resume.