Relief As Tinubu Orders Payment Of Four Out Of Eight Months Unpaid Salaries To Lecturers

Relief has finally come for lecturers in Federal Government of Nigeria universities, following an order by  President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the 

release of four out of the eight months salaries being owed to members of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) 

It will be recalled that the salaries were withheld for the period they were on strike as a result of no work, no pay policy of the Federal Government.

The “No Work, No Pay” was instituted against the university lecturers who were on an eight-month strike between February 14, 2022 and October 17, 2022.

But Tinubu's spokesperson , Ajuri Ngelale in a statement on Friday, said the President invoked the Principle of the Presidential Prerogative of Mercy to approve the partial waiver as part of his efforts to mitigate the difficulties being felt as a result of the implementation of some of his key economic reforms in the country.

 Ngelale in the  statement also indicated that the presidential waiver was recognition of “the faithful implementation of terms which were agreed upon during the fruitful deliberations between ASUU and the Federal Government of Nigeria President.”

According to the statement, the waiver will allow members of ASUU to receive four months of salary accruals out of the eight months withheld during the eight-month they were on strike.

However, this will be contingent on members of ASUU agreeing that this will be the last of such waiver they will enjoy from the Federal Government.

“The President has directed the grant of the waiver with a mandatory requirement that the Federal Ministry of Education and the Federal Ministry of Labour and Employment must secure a Document of Understanding (DoU) establishing that this exceptional waiver granted by the President will be the last one to be granted to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and all other Education Sector Unions”

ASUU has been demanding payment of the withheld salaries to its members before the end of the immediate past administration of Mohammadu Buhari and since commencement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu's administration on May 29, 2023