Most of our demands that the Nigerian government claimed to have met are yet to be implemented---ASUU President speaks

Two months after President Bola Tinubu approved the release of withheld four months’ salaries for Nigerian lecturers, the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) said its members are yet to receive the salaries.

ASUU President, Emmanuel Osodeke, a professor of soil science, also said most of its demands that the Nigerian government claimed to have met are yet to be implemented.

Withheld salaries

Mr Tinubu had in October approved the release of four of the eight months’ withheld salaries of the workers.

The salaries were withheld when the former administration of Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against some university-based unions that embarked on a strike that lasted eight months in 2022.

The Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, also a professor, recently said the government has increased the university workers’ salaries by 35 per cent.

The minister also said the government has granted autonomy to the universities by removing them from the Integrated Payment and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

He added that the universities no longer need a waiver to recruit and fill their vacancies.

These resolutions were reached through informal consultations with the unions based in the tertiary institutions, Mr Mamman said.

However, ASUU President, Mr Osodeke, said most of its demands are yet to be implemented.

Mr Osodeke confirmed that the union had met with the Minister of Education, Mr Mamman, and agreed on certain terms.

35 per cent increase

Regarding the 35 per cent increment, Mr Osodeke said the 35 per cent increase only applies to senior professors. He said the increment for other categories of workers in higher institutions is 25 per cent.

“No money has been paid to the union since its announcement. We only heard that it has been approved but we are yet to receive anything,” he said in a telephone conversation.

He added that the salary increment would be implemented in January.

He said: “We only heard that it had been approved, but there is no documentation between the union and the government for references to support the claims. And as of now, we are yet to receive or see any effect on the payment of withheld salaries.”

“On the issue of removal from the IPPIS and granting of autonomy, the new government is only trying to obey the law in the constitution. in the Universities Miscellaneous Act of 2018, the law is there to be referred to. It stated that the university governing council has the freedom to perform its functions without external interference,” he said.