N215 million debt: Gov. Lalong to pay striking lecturers N70m

The government pledged to pay the balance in two instalments on or before October 2021 and October 2022.

News Agency of Nigeria • March 4, 2021

Simon Lalong (Guardian Newspapers)

The Plateau government has agreed to pay N70 million out of the N215 million Earned Academic Allowances (EAA) with immediate effect to striking members of the Academic Staff Union of Plateau State University, Bokkos.

The government also pledged to pay the balance in two instalments on or before October 2021 and October 2022.

It also agreed to construct 30 staff quarters as part of the memorandum of agreement entered into with the PLASU academic staff.

The agreement was contained in the Memorandum of Understanding reached and signed with the lecturers on March 2.

The MoU was signed by Azi Izang, Head of the State Civil Service and Kakmena Audu, state Higher Education Commissioner on behalf of the state government and Bentse Pamson PLASU ASUU Chairman, and Lawan Abubakar, ASUU Zonal Chairman, Bauchi.

The MoU, which brought about the suspension of the almost three months impasse in the university, also stipulated that “nobody shall be victimised in any way whatsoever for his/her role in the process leading to the memorandum of action.”

“With this resolution, ASUU undertakes to suspend its industrial action with effect from 12.59 pm of Tuesday, March 2.

“Therefore, consequential adjustment arrears for the new minimum wage to the staff of PLASU will be paid with effect from October 2020 as applicable to other workers in the state,” the agreement said.

On understaffing, the two parties agreed that all the university departments should have at least a qualified secretary with effect from March 1, 2021, and address with immediate effect the critical staff deficits in the institution.

They also agreed that construction, tarring and completion of the entire road network within the university campus as to be captured in the 2022 budget of the state government and completion of fencing of the university to address the problem of insecurity.

The government also expressed its commitment to funding the institution within available resources captured in the 2021 fiscal budget, among other pledges to turn around the academic performance of PLASU.