June 21, (THEWILL) – The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Bayero University Kano (BUK) chapter, has expressed concern over the continued non-payment of promotion arrears of its members by the Federal Government.
“ASUU-BUK is particularly worried about the refusal of the Federal Government to pay promotion arrears of its members who were promoted to the professorial cadre for three consecutive years (2020, 2021 and 2022) in spite of sustained efforts by the union,” the Chairman of the union, Comrade Ibrahim Siraj, said.
Siraj made the statement while addressing a news conference at the union’s secretariat, BUK, Old Site, on Friday.
Equally, he said, quite a number of academics across Nigerian universities have not been paid their promotion arrears and consequential salary adjustment arrears.
The union also bemoaned the non-payment of its members’ Earned Academic Allowances (EAA). “Despite appropriating N50 billion for the payment of EAA in the 2023 National Budget, ASUU members in all federal universities are yet to receive a Kobo,” it said.
The group also dwelled on the issue of gross under-funding of public universities which it said it had consistently engaged governments.
“Over the years, ASUU has consistently engaged governments on the gross under-funding of public universities, predicating its advocacies on scientifically established benchmark of annual budgetary requirements for education.
“ASUU strongly supports the United Nations Fund for Population Activities (UNFPA) benchmark that specifies 15 to 20 percent budgetary allocation to the education sector.
“It is worrisome that in the last ten years, the budgetary allocation to education in Nigeria contemptuously vacillates between 5 and 6 percent,” the union added.
Abdullahi Yusuf is a seasoned journalist, communicator and was previously the Deputy Editor-In-Chief and Zonal Manager, News Agency of Nigeria, NAN, Jos, where he retired on December 15, 2021
