The recent payment of outstanding salaries to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) marks a significant development under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu. Reliable sources confirm that the federal government has initiated the process of settling these dues, a welcome relief for many educators.
Gbolahan Bolarin, Chairperson of ASUU at the Federal University of Technology, Minna, affirmed the news, stating, “Yes, it is true. Payment has started rolling in,” in an interview with Punch.
This positive step comes after President Tinubu’s approval in October 2023 to release four months’ worth of salaries that were previously withheld during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari. The withholding of salaries stemmed from the ‘No work, no pay policy’ invoked by the Buhari administration during an eight-month strike in 2022.
In addition to addressing salary arrears, Minister of Education Tahir Mamman revealed that the government has implemented a 35% increase in salaries for university workers. Furthermore, universities have been granted autonomy by being removed from the Integrated Payment and Payroll Information System. This move allows universities to manage their recruitment processes without the need for waivers, facilitating the filling of vacancies more efficiently.
