Some lecturers in various universities in Nigeria under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) have started receiving part of their eight-month salaries withheld by the government over the industrial action they embarked upon in 2022.
A lecturer from Usmanu Danfodiyo University, Sokoto confirmed this to SaharaReporters on Monday. He said some of his colleagues had confirmed payment of the money but the money was yet to be paid to all the lecturers.
“It is true. Some of us have started seeing alerts. But I have not seen mine but I am sure I will see it very soon,” he said.
When asked how many months was paid by the government, he said “I can’t say until I see my own. Let’s wait a bit.”
When SaharaReporters contacted the union’s President, Prof Emmanuel Osodoke for comments, he said the union was compiling a report on the issue and would soon release it to the public.
A source told SahraReporters that what pushed the government to start the payment today (Monday) was the regional meetings earlier scheduled by the lecturers to decide if to commence another industrial action.
The 2022 ASUU strike began on February 14 and ended on October 17.
The lecturers embarked on the strike action to demand improved funding for universities, increased salaries for lecturers, and better working conditions for staff.
But the then-government of Muhammadu Buhari did not pay the lecturers for the eight months based on its ‘no work, no pay’ policy.
However, President Bola Tinubu announced the approval of a partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” policy and ordered the release of four months of withheld salary to the lecturers.
This was disclosed in a press statement issued by his aide Chief Ajuri Ngelale last October, saying 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.
- Mr 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.”