FG Yet To Release N40b Earned Allowance – ASUU

The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, has accused the Federal Government of not releasing the promised N40 billion earned allowance days after calling off the nine-month strike.

The union has stated that FG has refused to continue the payment of the withheld salaries of its members that are not enrolled on the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS) after paying two months in December.

Recall that ASUU called of the nine-month strike on December 23, 2020, after a new deal was reached with a team led by the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige.

The development saw the government pay two months of the six months withheld salaries of ASUU members, since March last year, leaving four months arrears.

According to the Memorandum of Action signed between the government and ASUU leadership at the meeting on December 22, the Federal Government agreed to release N40 billion to ASUU as earned allowance on or before December 31, 2020.

The government, through the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation, was also supposed to continue the payment of the withheld salaries of the union members after Ngige got a special waiver from President Muhammadu Buhari to that effect.

An ASUU leader who spoke with The Nation on Monday in Abuja accused the Federal Government of missing two timelines on December 22, 2020, MoA with the failure to pay the N40 billion EAA and another tranche of the withheld four months salaries.

The ASUU chieftain said: “Some timelines have been missed already. EAA was supposed to be paid on or before December 31, 2020. It was not paid.”

“Another two months (withheld salary) was supposed to be paid with the December salary. The December salary has been paid to others but academic workers who are not registered on IPPIS have not received anything.”