FG, ASUU Talks Deadlocked Again, Parties Clash On N30bn Allowance

The meeting between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) on Wednesday ended in a deadlock after the government expressed that it does not have enough money to meet the financial demands of the striking union.

ASUU is asking the Federal Government to release N110 billion for revitalisation, and a N30 billion Earned Academic Allowance promised for its members alone.

These were some of the issues discussed at the resumed meeting between the union’s delegation and the federal government team on Wednesday in Abuja.

The meeting again failed to reach an agreement on these key issues and the controversial payroll system – the Integrated Personnel Payroll System (IPPIS) after hours of deliberation.

Speaking at the end of the meeting, the labour minister, Chris Ngige, said the government cannot pay the N110 billion ASUU is demanding for the revitalization of universities.

“There are three issues, revitalization fund where the government offered ASUU N20 billion as a sign of good faith based on the MoU they entered into in 2013 as a result of the renegotiation they had with the government in 2009,” he said.

Ngige expressed that the government is still committed to the revitalization of public universities.

“While we are giving them offers of some fund, this government is not against revitalization but this government says that because of dire economic situation, because of COVID-19, we cannot really pay the N110 billion which they are demanding for revitalization,” he said.