Nigerian govt begins payment of salaries of university lecturers, ASUU withheld over 2022 strike

A portion of the eight-month salary that the government withheld from some professors at Nigerian universities affiliated with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) because to their 2022 strike action has now been released.

This was verified on Monday by a lecturer at Usmanu Danfodiyo University in Sokoto. He added that while some of his colleagues had attested to the money’s payment, not all of the lecturers had received it.

It’s accurate. A few of us have begun to receive alerts. However, I haven’t seen mine yet, but I’m confident I will see it shortly,” he remarked.

He answered, “I can’t say until I see my own,” in response to a question about how many months the government had paid. Let’s hold off a little.

Prof. Emmanuel Osodoke, the president of the union, stated that the union was putting together a report on the matter and would make it available to the public shortly when the media contacted him for remarks.

According to a source, the lecturers’ earlier scheduled regional meetings to determine whether to start another round of industrial action were the driving force behind the government’s decision to begin payment today (Monday).

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The ASUU strike of 2022 lasted from February 14 until October 17.

In order to demand better working conditions for staff members, higher salaries for lecturers, and increased funding for institutions, the professors went on strike.

However, because of its “no work, no pay” policy, the lecturers were not paid for eight months by the Muhammadu Buhari administration at the time.

Nonetheless, President Bola Tinubu ordered the academics’ four months’ worth of money that had been withheld and declared approval of a partial waiver of the “No Work, No Pay” principle.

Chief Ajuri Ngelale, his aide, revealed this in a press release last October. She stated that the waiver was given in accordance with the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy Principle and in appreciation of the faithful execution of the terms that were agreed upon during the productive discussions between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria.

“The previously striking members of ASUU will 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,” Mr. Ngelale said in reference to the waiver.