FG commences payment of ASUU’s withheld salaries during Buhari’s regime

The Federal Government has begun the payment of the withheld salaries of academics under the umbrella of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU.

Sources in the academic sector confirmed the development in Abuja on Monday, February 19.

The chairperson of ASUU at the Federal University of Technology, FUT, Minna, Prof. Gbolahan Bolarin, who confirmed the development said, “Yes, it is true. Payment has started rolling in.”

The salaries were withheld when the administration of former President 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.

Minister of Education, Tahir Mamman, recently disclosed that the government has increased the university workers’ salaries by 35 percent.

The minister also said the government has granted autonomy to the universities by removing them from the Integrated Payment and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, adding that the universities no longer need a waiver to recruit and fill their vacancies.

According to Mamman, these resolutions were reached through informal consultations with the unions based in the tertiary institutions.

President Tinubu had in October 2023, approved the partial waiver of the ‘No Work, No Pay’ Order that was instituted against striking members of ASUU back in 2022.

The Special Adviser to the President on Media & Publicity, Ajuri Ngelale disclosed the decision by the President in a statement, saying;

“In view of his determination to mitigate the difficulties being felt during the implementation of key economic reforms in the country, as well as his recognition of the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria, Mr Tinubu has directed the grant of an exceptional last waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” order on ASUU, which will allow for the previously striking members of ASUU to receive four (4) months of salary accruals out of the eight months of salary which was withheld during the eight-month industrial action undertaken by the union.

“The President has directed the grant of the waiver with a mandatory requirement that the Federal Ministry of education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding, DoU, establishing that this exceptional waiver granted by the President will be the last one to be granted to the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and all other education sector unions,” the statement reads in part.