The federal government has commenced the payment of withheld salaries of lecturers under the Academic Staff Union of the University (ASUU).
The Director of Press in the Office of the Accountant General of the Federation (OAGF), Bawa Mokwa confirmed the development to The Nation on Monday, February 19.
Mokwa said the federal government released two-month salary arrears to the affected lecturers over the weekend while another tranche of two-month salary will be released to the lecturers later on Monday.
Mokwa disclosed that the federal government has resolved to offset the eight-month salary arrears of University lecturers who embarked on an eight-month strike during the tenure of former President Muhammadu Buhari.
The OAGF spokesman did not say when the remaining four months will be paid but he assured that the federal government will pay the lecturers.
Former President Muhammadu Buhari invoked a ‘No Work, No Pay policy’ against some university lecturers who embarked on a crippling strike, that lasted for eight months in 2022.
Before the federal government started paying off the withheld salaries, members of ASUU, the umbrella body of public university lecturers had threatened to embark on another strike if the federal government failed to pay them their withheld salaries.
Mokwa also added that only federal university lecturers under the IPPIS platform were being paid while state universities are the responsibility of their respective state governments.
