Strike: ASUU Blackmailing FG– Minister
ASUU blackmailing Federal government, says minister
The minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige has said that the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU is blackmailing the federal government of Nigeria with it’s threat of strike.
The minister said this in response to the union’s current decision to embark on steike following government’s failure to implement their agreements.
Ngige said that contrary to ASUU’s claims, that N70 billion was released by federal government in 2021 for both Revitalisation of Public Universities (N30 billion) and Earned Academic Allowances (N40 billion) to demonstrate commitment to the MoA implementation.
In FG’s defense, Ngige said: “It is not true. They have taken their Earned Academic Allowances for 2021. It was mainstreamed in the budget of 2021 and they got it.
“We paid N22.72 billion which was mainstreamed in the 2021 budget. And they have collected the one of 2020 where they got N40 billion and shared it between them and other unions. They got it in January 2021.
“When they called off their strike in December 2020, the release of funds was one of the agreements. They were paid N40 billion and another N30 billion for Revitalisation of Public Universities during the first quarter of 2021, bringing the total to N70 billion.
“If they say the EAA is not in the 2022 Budget, why don’t they allow the government to do a Supplementary Budget? There is a parameter that we use to calculate it. That parameter changes every year and it is the budget office that is calculating it.
“Maybe by March the Budget Office would have known what the parameter will be and put it in the 2022 supplementary budget. The EAA they got in 2021 was in the supplementary budget.
“We are implementing the MoA, we have been implementing it religiously. When they (ASUU) are talking like that, I don’t like it because they are talking just to whip up sentiments.”
The minister also directed ASUU to enquire on the progress of 2009 FG-ASUU agreement from the Federal Ministry of Education
They are supposed to write to their minister, who is their employer and tell him these things you are saying. When there is a breakdown in discussion that is when it comes to the federal ministry of Labour.
“They (FMoE) have not sent us any report either at the Presidential Committee on Salaries (PCS) or have they sent anything to me as minister of Labour.”
Asked if there is any meeting planned with ASUU leadership, Ngige said: “It is up to the Federal Ministry of Education to call me. Then I will call a meeting.
“I have forwarded their complaints to the Education for them to engage them. I have forwarded a letter to the ministry of education today (yesterday).”
