The Minister of Labour and Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and others on Tuesday in Abuja.

The Minister said that this was aimed at resolving the lingering crisis in the sector, NAN reports.

According to him, the beneficiaries include the members of the striking Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and their counterparts in the Polytechnics and Colleges of Education.

The Minister disclosed this while speaking with newsmen on the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), and others on Tuesday in Abuja.

According to Ngige, the universities will get N23.5 billion, the polytechnics N6 billion and the Colleges of Education N4 billion, bringing the total sum to N33.5 billion.

The minister, while giving an update on the ongoing strike, said committees were set up during the last tripartite meeting of the government and university based unions.

He said they were given a fortnight to turn in their report, adding they were still working and the reports of the committees were being expected at the end of the week.

“Those committees are working. The one on NITDA is testing the three platforms, the government’s Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).

“Also the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) of ASUU and the Universities Peculiar Personnel Payroll System (UPPPS) of the non-teaching staff.

“They started the testing last Thursday. The National Salaries, Wages and Incomes Commission (NSWIC) has issued their amendment circulars.

“The unions also have copies to take care of responsibility and hazard allowances wherever it has not been properly captured.’’

Ngige assured that there might likely be wage adjustments as the government intensified efforts to streamline wages through the National Salaries, Incomes and Wages Commission.

“For example, we have done it for the police . It wasn’t envisaged that we should do it in pockets.

“You can also see university teachers saying that their own should be done immediately, since we have done for the police. So, something is being done. It was part of the 2009 negotiation they had with the government then.

“So, the committee of Prof. Briggs is on it, discussing with the university unions and their employer, the Federal Ministry of Education. They will bring up something for the government to see.

“There are other people. The doctors are complaining about brain-drain, this and that. Their hazard allowance has to be touched and it was touched by close to 300 per cent.

“From N5, 000 paid across board for each person, the least person in the health sector is getting N15, 000, while the big ones are getting N45, 000. So, that is the quantum leap.’’he added.

The minister therefore, appealed to ASUU and other university-based unions once more to suspend their strike so that academic activities could resume once again in public universities across the country.

The Federal Polytechnic Mubi chapter of the ASUP stated this while addressing newsmen at the Yola campus of the polytechnic on Wednesday.

Chairman of the Federal Polytechnic Mubi chapter of ASUP, Comrade Hussaini James said, the Federal Government rushed a meeting with ASUP as the strike was already beginning on Tuesday, when it should have convened the meeting long ago.

“The notice of this strike was given well ahead of time but the Federal Government took no steps to possibly avert it until yesterday when it convened a meeting, and of course, it was deadlock,” he said.

He said such delayed action by the Federal Government shows how unserious it had always been over issues relating to polytechnic education.

According to him, when it comes to this education sub-sector, “Government lies down on otherwise simple things: things it can do without breaking a sweat.”

President of ASUP, Anderson Ezeibe made the disclosed this while addressing journalist in Abuja on Tuesday.

According to him, the members of the union have vowed to shut down the Nigerian Polytechnics till the Federal Government meets their demands.

Recall that ASUP had directed its members to go on strike from April 6 over salary arrears, non-constitution of governing councils, “victimisation”, among other issues.

But, the FG had on Monday invited officials of the Union to an emergency meeting over its proposed strike.

The minister of education, Adamu Adamu, had scheduled a meeting with the union on Tuesday.

According to a statement issued on Monday by Ben Bem Goong, spokesperson for the ministry of education, the meeting was to address the issues raised by ASUP in a bid to avert the planned strike.

The strike according to the association will begin from April 6, 2021 due to alleged ‘’culture of neglect by government on issues affecting the technological education sub sector.’’

ASUP President, Anderson U Ezeibe, disclosed this at the end of the 99th meeting of the National Executive Council of the union at Hassan Usman Polytechnic, Katsina the industrial action was informed by six key factors affecting polytechnic education.

The issues, according to him, include non- implementation of ASUP/FG agreement of 2010, non-payment of salaries and arrears of the new minimum wage in some state-owned Polytechnics, among others.

While also admitting a meeting with the Federal Government has been held in October 2020 on some of the pending issues, the union however insisted the outcome of the meeting was a write off as government failed to implement the resolutions reached

The union further listed 10 conditions under which the proposed April 6 industrial action may be called off to include: Implementation of the NEEDS Assessment report of 2014, reconstitution of the Governing Councils of Polytechnics, release of Promotional areas in federal Polytechnics, among others.

National President of the union, Mr Usman Dutse, made the call at the opening ceremony of the 15th National Delegates Conference (NDC) of ASUP held at the Federal Polytechnic, Ilaro in Ogun.

Dutse recalled that the Act, which was signed by President Buhari in June, had not been fully implemented.

He noted that, “You can see how the Federal Government put pressure on us on IPPIS issue; if it is their interest, they will put pressure.

“Some Rectors had forced the union members to be enrolled in the scheme, but this act that will benefit the system and workers, has not been implemented.

“Now, there is a letter from the ministry, forwarded by NBTE, that some provisions of the act should not be implemented until next year.

“That is why we are asking, why the alteration? They altered other areas, and they said the council should remain till next year.

“We are not against the council being delayed till next year, but there are some council members that the act has removed.

“We want them to know that there is need for them to take action in that regard.”