FG Directs ASUU To Return To Classroom

The federal government has ordered that lecturers should go back to classrooms immediately after it said it had disbursed the sum of N30 billion for earned academic allowances.

The directive which was given by the secretary to the government of the federation, Sen Anyim Pius Anyim, during a meeting between the federal government and the vice-chancellors of the 61 public universities, stated that "Government, hereby, urges every staff of the nation's universities to return to work as all issues are being resolved."

Speaking on the N92billion earned allowances, Anyim said:
Staff of the universities that is so entitled should verify his claim with the university council and accordingly get paid as "from the foregoing, it is obvious that government has demonstrated sufficient commitment to the implementation of the 2009 FG/ASUU agreement.

"After series of discussions, government has now provided N30 billion to support the university councils in settling the earned allowances. The amount will be disbursed to the various university councils which are in the position to know who is entitled to how much after verification."

He revealed that "Traditionally, universities pay this to deserving staff but because of the amount which ASUU now claims as arrears, government has decided to assist the university councils to pay" as government did not receive any computation of amount involved until February, 2013.

"By this computation, ASUU is claiming N92 billion as arrears for three year's payment based on percentage rage of between 15 and 20 per cent of personnel cost."

While there was consensus that revitalising the tertiary institutions is of critical importance to the nation, Anyim noted that "when put together, the amount of funds from the budgetary and non-budgetary sources that goes into the sector is quite huge but without corresponding impact."