The payment of withheld salaries for academics represented by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has commenced, according to sources within the Federal Government.
Prof. Gbolahan Bolarin, the chairperson of ASUU at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, confirmed the news on record, stating, “Yes, it is true. Payment has started rolling in.”
In October 2023, President Bola Tinubu approved the release of four out of the eight months’ salaries that had been withheld for ASUU workers. These salaries were held back during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari when a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ was implemented against certain university-based unions due to an eight-month strike in 2022.
Recently, Minister of Education Tahir Mamman announced that the government has increased salaries for university workers by 35 percent. Additionally, universities have been granted autonomy by being removed from the Integrated Payment and Payroll Information System.
Mamman also mentioned that universities no longer require a waiver for recruitment and filling vacancies. These decisions were reached through informal consultations with unions within tertiary institutions, as stated by the minister. Further details will be provided later.
