ASUU Rejects FG’s N50 Billion Earned Allowance

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has rejected federal government’s claim that it released N50 Billion to the union as Academic Earned Allowance (AEA) meant for the settlement of members’ outstanding indebtedness.

It said it was yet to receive any correspondence from the government relating to the widely reported release of the money as an earned allowance.

A source who does not want to be quoted, told ASIWAJU MEDIA at the University of Abuja campus in Giri, Gwagwalada, that the demand of the union was for proper funding of the university and the immediate implementation of 2009 agreement bothering on the release of N220 billion annually as revitalisation fund.
He downplayed the reported release of N50 billion as earned Amallowance to the union as paltry and not part of the demands of the union.

He described the situation as concerning for the ASUU leadership, which was studying the development and would soon make its pronouncement public.
According to him, the union’s position was that government should as a matter of urgency release N220 billion annually as universities’ revitalisation fund and also provide about N150 billion as earned allowance owed to members of the union.
The source vowed the union’s National Executive Council (NEC) will reject outright the N50 billion released as earned allowance, if it becomes clear that such money was released to the union.

He expressed union’s displeasure with government for sharing the news of the release of the money to the media without any correspondence from the Ministry of Education patterning to the release of such money.

He also accused the Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, of playing politics over the implementation of the 2009 agreement between ASUU and the federal government.