......alleges FG’s secret deal with ASUU
The Non-Academic Staff Union of Educational and Associated Institutions, NASU, has alleged a secret deal between the Federal Government and the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, over a N50 billion earned allowance.
NASU opposed any attempt at selective implementation of agreements and payment delays in the tertiary education sector, warning that any bias in disbursing the promised N50 billion Earned Allowance could trigger a new wave of industrial unrest.
Speaking at a two-day Universities and Inter-University Centres Trade Group Council Meeting organised by NASU, the General Secretary, Prince Peters Adeyemi, said the earned allowance has been a longstanding issue.
Adeyemi said: “They have tried to divide the ranks of the unions, particularly in the universities. When the earned allowance is released, they separate the non-teaching staff from the academics.
“When they want to share the money, they give 20 percent to the three non-teaching staff unions and 70 percent to the academics. We protested this.
“In fact, this was one of the reasons we embarked on that long strike in 2022. As of August 2022, while the strike had lasted about four months, we were invited to a meeting chaired by the former Minister of Education, Mallam Adamu Adamu. An agreement was signed.
“In that agreement, the government committed to releasing N50 billion for the payment of earned allowances for both academic and non-teaching staff. That was one of the promised incentives that led us to suspend the strike.
“The government has not fulfilled that commitment. But suddenly, just a few days ago, we saw a letter written to one of the unions, indicating that a meeting of stakeholders had been held—with only ASUU present, leaving out the other three unions.
“How can that be a stakeholders’ meeting if you meet with only one out of four unions? That cannot be considered inclusive. Since we were not part of the meeting, we strongly suspect the government intends to pay the N50 billion to just one union.
“We use this opportunity, at this important meeting, to call on Mr. President through the Minister of Education: if the N50 billion is paid only to the academic union and the other unions are ignored, it will plunge the universities into an industrial crisis. Government is a continuum—agreements signed in 2022 remain binding today.
“We appeal strongly because we know this President is committed to sustaining industrial peace in universities, and we commend him for ensuring the academics have not gone on strike so far.
“But in their desperation to prevent one union from going on strike, they must not create a worse situation—like when they paid four months’ salaries to ASUU and only two months to us (NASU). The government, by its actions or inaction, will trigger a fresh crisis in the university system.
“This is a great opportunity to appeal to the Minister of Education, for whom we have great respect, and Mr. President, that any attempt to allocate the N50 billion solely to the academic union will trigger parallel industrial unrest.”
Prince Adeyemi said the union supported the transition to the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System, IPPIS, on the condition that all benefits and liabilities are carried over.
“Unfortunately, IPPIS has failed to take on both assets and liabilities. This is a major problem for us,” he stated.
Adeyemi also condemned the alleged illegal stoppage of check-off dues in some institutions, citing the Federal Polytechnic, Ekowe, in the Southern Ijaw Local Government Area of Bayelsa State as an example.
“No rector, vice-chancellor, or provost has the power to stop union dues. It is a statutory right under Nigerian labour laws,” Adeyemi declared.
Also speaking, NASU’s President, Dr. Hassan Makolo, criticized the Federal Government over unpaid arrears, the flawed implementation of IPPIS, and delays in renegotiating the 2009 agreement.
He also decried NASU’s exclusion from recent alleged stakeholders’ meetings on earned allowances, questioning the legitimacy of those involved.
On the stalled 2009 agreement renegotiation, he expressed frustration at the lack of progress since December 2024.
“Enough is enough,” he warned, urging the government to act with sincerity and urgency.
Earlier, the Lagos State Chairman of NASU, Timothy Olawore, lamented the persistent challenges plaguing Nigeria’s education sector.
Olawore cited inadequate funding, poor infrastructure, and brain drain as major setbacks.
“These challenges not only affect the quality of education but also the well-being of our members,” he said. Despite the odds, he reaffirmed NASU’s commitment to advancing members’ interests and promoting the sector’s growth.
He urged participants to “share experiences and provide lasting solutions to reposition this vital sector.”
The Trade Group Council Chairman and Deputy President of NASU, Buhari Suleiman, raised a scathing alarm over the deteriorating state of Nigeria, highlighting crises in education, security, power, and the economy.
He condemned the government’s 9.2 percent education budget for 2025 as woefully inadequate, calling it a “clear disregard for global standards.”
Suleiman decried Nigeria’s drop to 6th place on the Global Terrorism Index, labelling it a “shameful failure of leadership and strategy.”
He criticized deep-rooted corruption and rising youth unemployment, warning that “no nation develops when its future—the youth—is abandoned.”
He also described the ongoing power crisis as a national embarrassment, demanding urgent reforms and leadership that truly serves the people.
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