The Federal Government has released N50 billion to academic and non-academic staff unions of federal universities to settle outstanding earned allowances, fulfilling a promise made by President Bola Tinubu.
The Minister of Education, Tunji Alausa made this known in a statement issued on Wednesday and signed by the ministry’s spokesperson, Folashade Boriowo.
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Mr Alausa said the payment is part of the administration’s efforts to prioritise education and ensure uninterrupted academic activities in the nation’s tertiary institutions.
He noted that this intervention is not just a financial transaction but a reaffirmation of the President’s belief in the capacity of Nigerian youth and the invaluable role that academic and non-academic staff play in nurturing them.
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“By prioritising their welfare, we are laying the foundation for a future where every Nigerian child receives highly qualitative and globally competitive education,” he said.
He added that President Tinubu emphasised the importance of keeping students in school, asserting that strikes in educational institutions should become a thing of the past.
Mr Alausa said the Ministry of Education has also pledged to continue “working collaboratively with all stakeholders across the education value chain to ensure that every Nigerian child has access to quality education, comparable to global standards.”
Union concerns over disbursement
Despite the government’s gesture, some university-based unions have raised concerns regarding the allocation of the funds.
NASU’s General Secretary, Prince Adeyemi, was quoted to have criticised the government’s approach, stating that allocating 70 per cent of the funds to academic staff and only 30 per cent to non-teaching staff is unjust.
These concerns have led to warnings of potential industrial actions, which could disrupt the academic calendar.
A longstanding dispute
The disbursement follows a series of unresolved issues stemming from the 2009 agreement between the federal government and university-based unions.
This would be the fourth committee since 2017, to address the stalled negotiations. The committee, chaired by Yayale Ahmed, includes representatives from various unions, including ASUU, SSANU, NASU, and NAAT.
Previous committees led by Wale Babalakin, Munzali Jubril, and Nimi Briggs failed to produce a lasting agreement, leading to repeated industrial actions.
However, the formation of the new committee has not been without controversy with unions accusing the government of undue delays and lack of commitment.
The Congress of University Academics (CONUA) protested its exclusion from the renegotiation process, arguing that it undermines the interests of its members.
Similarly, the Joint Action Committee of NASU and SSANU criticised the inauguration as biased towards academic staff, expressing concerns over potential marginalisation in the negotiations.
ASUU, in particular, has emphasised the need for the government to sign and implement the renegotiated agreement to prevent further industrial crises.
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