The Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, has briefed President Muhammadu Buhari on the progress report over the on[1]going negotiation between the Federal Government and Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).
ASUU embarked on a one month warning strike on Feb. 14, to press home their demands for N1.2trillion. The union also wants the federal government to adopt the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment platform.
Ngige, who spoke to State House correspondents at the end of the meeting with the president, said the federal government had so far paid over N92 billion as earned allowances and revitalisation fee to federal owned universities across the country.
He said this was part of the implementation of the 2020 December agreement reached with the ASUU. “Why I said that the 2020 December agreement we had with ASUU is on course in terms of implementation.
There is a line that says the federal government should pay N40 billion for (Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) for ASUU and other unions, that has been paid. “N30 billion was also budgeted or was to be paid for revitalization that also was paid late last year.
N22.127 billion was agreed also in that December agreement, to be paid from supplementary budget as Earned Allowances for 2021, that money was also paid last year.
“It was put in the supplementary budget which was passed around June[1]July and the money was remitted. So, the government has done that.”
On the controversial issue of introducing the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) payment platform as preferred by ASUU instead of government’s Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS), the minister said the matter would be revisited.