The Federal Government has initiated the disbursement of previously withheld salaries for academics affiliated with the Academic Staff Union of Universities,
Multiple credible sources within the academic sector in Abuja confirmed this development on Monday.
Prof. Gbolahan Bolarin, the ASUU chairperson at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, verified the information, stating, “Yes, it is true. Payment has started rolling in.”
In October 2023, President Bola Tinubu approved the release of four out of eight months’ worth of ASUU withheld salaries.
These salaries were held back during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari, who implemented a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ in response to a prolonged strike by certain university-based unions in 2022.
Highlighting recent developments, Minister of Education Tahir Mamman disclosed that the government has increased university workers’ salaries by 35 percent.
Furthermore, autonomy has been granted to universities by removing them from the Integrated Payment and Payroll Information System.
Minister Mamman emphasized that universities no longer require a waiver for recruitment and filling vacancies.
These decisions resulted from informal consultations with tertiary institution unions.
Further details will be provided later.
