ASUU President Explains Why Some Federal Universities Could Not Pay Full January Salaries

By Momodu Favour

The President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Christopher Piwuna, has explained why several federal universities were unable to pay their lecturers full salaries for January.

Speaking on the issue, Mr Piwuna said the situation was linked to ongoing adjustments following the recently signed agreement between the union and the federal government.

After nearly 16 years of delays and negotiations, the Federal Government of Nigeria finally signed a renegotiated agreement with ASUU on January 14, aimed at addressing longstanding disputes that have repeatedly led to strikes in Nigeria’s public universities.

According to the ASUU president, the implementation process of the new agreement created some administrative and funding challenges for certain institutions, which affected their ability to pay full salaries to lecturers for January.

He noted that while some universities were able to process payments completely, others experienced temporary shortfalls during the transition period.

Mr Piwuna expressed hope that the issues would soon be resolved as the government continues to implement the provisions of the agreement.

The agreement between ASUU and the federal government is expected to address several key issues affecting university lecturers, including salary structure, welfare, funding for universities, and working conditions, which have been major triggers of industrial actions in the past.

University lecturers across Nigeria have long complained about irregular salary payments, poor funding, and inadequate facilities, challenges that have contributed to frequent disruptions in the country’s higher education system.