Strike: Ngige lied, FG last paid our members in June – ASUU

The Academic Union of Universities (ASUU), has said that the Minister of Labour and Employment, Dr Chris Ngige, lied in his claims on live television, that the Federal Government has paid salaries of university lecturers up to date.

The Lagos Zone in a press statement signed by its Zonal Coordinator, Professor Olusiji Sowande, said lecturers in some Universities have not received salary in the last six months while majority have only received their salaries up till June 2020.

ASUU alleged that the Minister made the claim while featuring on a Channels Television programme, Politics Today, aired on Tuesday.

 “Dr.Chris Ngige was also economical with the truth by misinforming the public that government has been paying the salaries of members of our Union to date.

“The correct position is that government only paid our salaries up to June 2020. As of today our members are been owed three (3) months salaries while in some Universities our members have not received salary for six (6) month.

“In addition, government through the office of the Accountant General of the Federation have criminally withheld five months (February-June, 2020) Check-Off deducted from our members salaries.”

The Minister was also quoted to have claimed that an invitation has been extended to the Union to demonstrate, next week, the efficacy of the software developed by the Union, UTAS, in place of Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System.

The Union revealed that as at the time of releasing the press statement Wednesday evening, no such invitation has been received by the Union adding that a letter written to the Minister for the same purpose, over a month ago, was yet to be acknowledged.

The Minister was also condemned for narrowing the demands of the Union to its rejection of the IPPIS.

Other issues in contention for which the Union is currently on total, comprehensive and indefinite strike, according to the statement, included failure of government to fully implement the 2009 FGN-ASUU Agreement and February 2019 Memorandum of Action with timelines for release of funds for the revitalization of infrastructure in public Universities.

Other issues include, payment of outstanding Earned Academic Allowances, conclusion of the renegotiation of 2009FGN-ASUU

Agreement, setting up of Visitation Panels to Federal Universities and proliferation of State Universities.

The statement read in part, “The Minister informed the public that a meeting has been scheduled next week for our Union to demonstrate the efficacy of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) software developed by our Union to the stakeholders at the Ministry of Finance, Ministry of Education and Minister of Labour and Employment to watch as arbiter.

 “The general public should please note that our Union, over a month ago, had written the Minister of our readiness to demonstrate the efficacy and superiority of UTAS over IPPIS and that as at the time of this press release no acknowledgement of receipt of our letter or letter of invitation for meeting has been received by our Union.

“The Minister also misinformed the public by narrowing down the issues in contention to our rejection of Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) which UTAS seeks to replace.

“We are therefore surprised that the Minister could go on air to present information which he has not verified as trutht to the unsuspecting public. The ongoing total, comprehensive and indefinite strike action by our Union will continue if this propaganda and lies against ASUU persists.”  (Daily Independent)