The statement reads as follows: "When the Academic Staff Union of Universities called off their industrial action three weeks ago, it meant that academic activities could restart in our nation's public universities and students could resume their academic pursuits after the lengthy break. This move was lauded around the nation as the correct decision.
Since then, the Executive and the House of Representatives have tried to resolve the causes of the strike. We are currently working on the Appropriations Bill for 2023, which includes the sum of N170 billion to increase the welfare package for university professors. The bill also gives the federal colleges an extra N300,000,000,000 to help them improve their infrastructure and operations.
"Furthermore, the House of Representatives has convened the Accountant General of the Federation, the Academic Staff Union of Universities, and other stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of University Transparency and Accountability Solution components into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System." Rep. Aminu Suleiman, chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, is supervising this initiative.
"The Executive's position is that it is not required to pay wages for the integration of aspects of the university's transparency and accountability solution into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS)." Rep. Aminu Suleiman, chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, is supervising this initiative.
"The Executive's position that it is not required to pay lecturers' salaries for strike time is based on the law and the government's legitimate interest in minimising moral hazard and deterring disruptive industrial actions." However, efforts have been made to investigate the prospect of academics receiving partial compensation. We anticipate favourable consideration from His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, who has shown a desire to do what is smart and essential to resolve all pending concerns.
Implementing significant change requires time, particularly when appropriations and system improvements such as IPPIS are required. Therefore, I urge all parties to exercise patience and grant each other the presumption of good faith to the extent required to accomplish our shared goals. Now is not the time for political extremism. There is no more important purpose than preventing additional disruptions to the academic calendars of colleges. This must be avoided at all costs, as these disturbances threaten the promise and potential of our nation's children.A
