The Federal Government has yet to release the withheld salaries of university lecturers, workers, and other employees of federal polytechnics and colleges of education despite the waiver granted by the President, Bola Tinubu.
Tinubu in October approved a partial waiver of the
no-work-no-pay order on striking members of the Academic Staff Union of
Universities alongside other academic unions and ordered the release of
salaries withheld for four months.
The President’s spokesperson, Ajuri Ngelale, in a statement,
said that the waiver was granted invoking the principle of the presidential
prerogative of mercy, and in recognition of the faithful implementation of
terms that were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between ASUU and
the Federal Government of Nigeria.
Ngelale stated that the waiver “will allow for the
previously striking members of ASUU to receive four 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 ASUU strike, which began on February 14, 2022, and ended
on October 17, 2022, was the longest in the union’s history.
It would be recalled that the strike was declared over
demands for improved funding for universities, increased salaries for
lecturers, and better working conditions by the striking union.
Speaking with our correspondent, the chairperson of ASUU at
the Federal University of Technology, Minna, Prof Gbolahan Bolarin, told our
correspondent that the lecturers had not been paid.
“We have not received anything like that,” he said.
The National President of the Senior Staff Association of
Nigerian Universities, Muhammed Ibrahim, said, “If you are referring to the
four-month salary backlog. It has not been paid yet.”
Similarly, the National President of the Academic Staff
Union of Polytechnics, Anderson Ezeibe, also informed our correspondent that
the arrears had not been paid.
The spokesperson of the National Salaries, Wages and Income
Commission, Emma Njoku, when contacted by our correspondent, said the payment
was not the responsibility of the agency.
Our correspondent could not reach any official at the Office
of the Accountant General of the Federation for comments on the matter.