THE Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has declared that it will not believe the Federal Government’s claim of releasing N50 billion to settle the earned allowances of academic and non-academic staff unions of federal universities until its members start receiving bank alerts confirming the payment.
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In an exclusive interview with the Nigerian Tribune over the weekend, ASUU’s National President, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, made this statement.
It will be recalled that last week, the Minister of Education, Dr. Olatunji Alausa, made a public statement that went viral, announcing the release of N50 billion by the government to settle unpaid earned allowances of federal university workers nationwide.
However, when asked for his reaction, the ASUU president stated that, based on past experiences, the union had learned never to trust claims made by the Nigerian government in the media until there is concrete evidence to support such claims.
“We heard the information through the media, just like every other Nigerian, as there has been no official communication on the matter,” he said. “Although we had a verbal communication with the Minister of Education a few days ago, it is not enough to convince us.”
He explained the union’s lack of trust in the government, saying, “It is common practice for successive governments in Nigeria to make promises and not fulfill them.”
Osodeke further expressed his disbelief that the Federal Government was celebrating the release of money for earned allowances as if it were the primary issue needing attention. According to him, the earned allowance is just one of many issues. Even with the N50 billion, it can only cover two out of the eight years’ worth of arrears owed.
He added that ASUU had been asking successive governments to first finalize the renegotiation of their 2009 agreement, which includes new salary scales and allowances for all university workers, the injection of revitalization funds, and more. Afterward, they would consider what ASUU members can forgo regarding allowances for the eight years of arrears as a form of sacrifice.
“So, ASUU has made it clear to the government to pay for two years, while we may decide to forgo the remaining six years. However, the government has not done anything in that regard to date,” Osodeke noted.
He highlighted several renegotiation committees established by the Federal Government in the past to address the same issues, naming those headed by Dr. Wale Babalakin, Professor Nimi Briggs, and, most recently, Dr. Yayale Ahmed.
Osodeke said each committee’s assignment ended the same way, with no positive outcome, particularly for ASUU. According to him, government representatives always tell ASUU that they will report back to their principals and come back with an offer from the government to form the basis of a new agreement for signing.
“But that usually marks the end of such efforts for each committee, as they never return until another committee is set up for fresh discussions,” he said, stressing, “That has been the government’s tactic over the years.”
He also explained that the last committee, headed by Dr. Yayale Ahmed, concluded its work with the union in November 2024. However, even five full months later, there has been no tangible outcome from the effort.
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