ASUU Strike: Salaries Commission advised FG to increase lecturers’ salaries

The Chairman of the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission, Mr. Ekpo Nta stated that it advised the Federal Government to increase the salaries of Nigerian tertiary education lecturers.

This was disclosed by Mr. Nta on Thursday, as lawmakers invited the agency alongside the National Information Technology Development Agency, NITDA to finalise issues related to the strike.

However, Nta stated that he is not aware of any agreement between the FG and ASUU for salary increments.

The salaries commission chief noted that in view of the general agitation in the tertiary education sector, “The agency advised the government to look at the possibility of increasing the salaries of the staff in the entire sector, comprising universities, polytechnics and colleges of education.”

Nta also noted that at the end of the day, FG decided to increase the salaries of lecturers in the Universities by a certain percentage, while professors were considered for a higher percentage.

He noted that he wasn’t “aware of any agreement between the Federal Government and ASUU for a salary increment.”

Meanwhile, the Accountant General of the Federation, Mr. Sylva Okolieboh said under no circumstance should employees dictate to their employers how they should be paid, faulting ASUU’s insistence on UTAS.

The House of reps suggested that a follow-up meeting with ASUU officials be held on Thursday next week.

What you should know

• ASUU had on February 14, 2022, embarked on a 4-week total and comprehensive strike to press home their unresolved demands on the federal government.
• ASUU on May 9, further extended its ongoing strike by another 12 weeks to give the government enough time to satisfactorily resolve all the outstanding issues after an extension on March 14 due to an alleged lack of seriousness on the part of the federal government.
• The Federal Government’s Briggs renegotiation committee, had since April 2022, been meeting with ASUU and other labour unions in the universities, who are all currently on strike due to its dispute with the government and non-resolution of demands of the 2009 agreements signed with the federal government.