By James Uwem
THE ongoing strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and Radio Television and Theatre Workers Union (RATTAWU) may soon end as the Federal Government has finally accepted to meet their demands.
It has made available N60 billion to pay for the salary increase as demanded by ASUU and the monetisation arrears demanded by RATAWU.
The Minister of Labour and Productivity, Mr. Adetokunbo Kayode, said this yesterday in Abuja .
The minister stated that, “Government has issued a white paper ordering the finance minister and other related agencies to set aside N20.6bn to settle ASUU’s salary increase demands and N40bn for the settlement of the monetisation for RATTAWU and other government staff,” Kayode stated.
The disbursement of the funds for the settlement of monetisation arrears, according to the minister, will begin on Monday, July 13 while that of ASUU salary increase will take effect from August 1,2009.
“This present government is fully committed to maintaining peace in the industrial sector, as such, there wasn’t any basis for the strike in the first place, as government was working on modalities to permanently resolve every position presented by these unions.
“N60bn is lodged in designated banks and will be paid into individual accounts from July 13 for the monetisations and August 1, respectively for salary increase of ASUU members .”
The minister however stated that ASUU ,RATAWU and others have no reason to continue forging ahead with the strike. He pleaded with the Unions to go back to work, stating that government ‘no work no pay is still enforce’ as such since money has been earmarked for this settlement , the strike should be called off.
Mr. Kayode also added that government at this stage has agreed to all the four demands by ASUU including having full autonomy by individual Universities.
This in essence the minister said means , those Universities that are financially buoyant may have the ability to pay their staff more than others , In that regard he added that federal government has agreed to pay ASUU its due but may not compel state owned Universities to concede to the increase as states he added can only pay what the revenue can carry.
Why wld asuu not b bent on salary increament,look L.G councellor earnin #250,000/month,ministers’ lunch allowance 114,000,their salary=#10m/month.tel me,y would a proffesor,doctors not protest when a primary skul cert. hold earns double or more when al he nids 2say in d house of asmbly is ‘i support’.F.G,u causd it al.finance Asuu,RATTAWHU,if u can finance violence(MEND).
Let asuu resume work now.we are tackling brain drain yet nigerian students are roaming the streets,pick-pocketin and engagin in anti-educational vices.Fear posterity,FG,ASUU.
Cant wait to see my buddies and resume school. Wat else can i say!
Thanks for the strike
Our government is foolish because they don’t value education but only interested in stealing our money and also using our money to fly out their children in foreingn institutions,infact am regreting to be a Nigerian,polically,socialy,politicaly and educationaly poluted and corrupted,what a nonsense and a stupid government with lazy,foolish,incompetent and uncaple President and administrators.
The govt dont know there onions if they do, they wont have experienced this strike in the first place..they occupy themselves with unnecessary things all in the name of politics……God help them
all of u students dat want to resume classes are selfish. dat’s d prolem with nigerians at all levels. we’re all selfish n we put ourselves first before others. ASUU will be very stupid 2 resume d strike without completely getting wat they want form FG bcos they’l have 2 always go on strike.