Anger in varsities as FG pays ASUU members half salary for October

The Federal Government only paid lecturers under the aegis of the Academic Staff Union of Universities for 18 working days in the month of October.

The National President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, reportedly confirmed the development on Thursday night.

Osodeke was reacting to the payment of half salary by the government to his members.

“Yes, we were paid half salary for October and that is not what we expected. However, as an organised union, we are meeting soon to deliberate on the issue and take appropriate actions, ” he was quoted to have said.

It is not only ASUU that is angry about the development, non-teaching staff under the aegis of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, the National Association of Academic Technologists, NAAT and the Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Allied Institutions, NASU reportedly expressed shocked over the government’s action and are contemplating what next to do too.

ASUU suspended its eight-month strike on October 14, following an order by the Court of Appeal, which directed it to comply with an earlier pronouncement by the National Industrial Court of Nigeria, before appealing its judgement.

The strike began on February 14 following the failure of the Federal Government to renegotiate the agreement it signed with ASUU in 2009, demand by the teachers for the replacement of the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS), with the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS), as the payment platform in the university sector, among others.