Education

ASUU Strike: An End in Sight as Buhari Govt Agrees to Pay N30bn Earned Allowance

By Obiajulu Joel Nwolu

October 16, 2020

The President Muhammadu Buhari administration has agreed to release N30 billion to pay earned academic allowance to lecturers of universities.

The allowance will be paid in tranches between May 2021 and February 2022.

As part of the agreements reached to bring an end to the strike action, African News Today gathered that the FG also committed to spend N20 billion on revitalisation of the education sector.

The agreements were reached during a meeting between the FG and leadership of ASUU on Thursday.

Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige who spoke to journalists before the meeting said students were being lured into the #EndSARS peaceful demonstrations due ASUU strike.

“We don’t take very great pleasure in the fact that the children who are supposed to be in school are being recruited into the #EndSARS, #EndStrike, #EndSWAT and all kinds of situations.

“As much as possible, we will try to see how we can meet ourselves halfway so that we can resolve this crisis to the benefits of all and the country at large,” Ngige said.

In his reaction, ASUU President, Prof Biodun Ogunyemi said the needs and challenges of the university system in the country should be treated as a national emergency.

He lauded the effort of the Senate President, Ahmad Lawan, Ngige, and Accountant-General of the Federation, Idris Ahmed, among others, for their intervention.