The Federal Government has promised to pay N40 billion, being the pending Earned Academic Allowance, EAA, of University teachers.
This is as the ongoing dialogue between the government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, will continue on Wednesday, October 21, to enable the leadership to consult their organs on the conclusions reached at this last meeting.
The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, disclosed this while presenting the outcome of the meeting between the government and the university teachers.
According to a statement issued by Charles Akpan, Deputy Director/Head Press, the Minister stated that out of the N40 billion pending Earned Academic Allowance, N30 billion would be paid on or before 6th November, while the remaining N10 billion would be spread equally over two tranches to be paid on May 2021 and February 2022.
He said that the government’s commitment to pay was in response to “the demand by ASUU for the payment of two tranches of EAA which accumulate to N40 billion that has become overdue since November 2019.”
Though the Federal Government agreed to fulfill its financial obligations to ASUU members, particularly outstanding salaries and earned allowances, the parties could not agree on the mode of payment.
The government side appealed to ASUU to enroll on the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) platform in the meantime, and migrate back to the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) after its efficacy had been proven through the necessary integrity tests.
The union refused, insisting on being exempted from IPPIS.
He said, “The meeting also agreed that if UTAS passes all the different stages of the integrity test, which would involve the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (NSA), and after ascertaining its efficacy, it would be adopted for the payment of the University staff.”
“Government also offered to pay, by the end of January 2021, the sum of N20 billion as funding for the revitalization of public universities, as well as seek for sources of alternative and additional funding of the university system, among other conclusions.”
