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Tag: Half Salary

  • Half Salary: Cut the salaries of lawmakers by 50% to pay ASUU- Senator Ndume

    Half Salary: Cut the salaries of lawmakers by 50% to pay ASUU- Senator Ndume

    A senator representing Borno south Ali Ndume  has called on the Federal Government to slash the salaries of the National Assembly members by half in order to augment the salaries of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, so as to meet their pressing demands.

    The Borno senator made this known in Borno Maiduguri’s  capital while speaking on the half payment received by members of ASUU.

    He urged the federal government to form a high-powered standing committee of respected educationists and patriotic Nigerians to meet with the leadership of ASUU to address the issues.

    He said, “Even if it means that the National Assembly will reduce sitting allowances or be paid on casual allowances basis whenever they sit at the Lower and upper chambers, by cutting the recurrent expenditure in the budget of the federal lawmakers to settle the ASUU arrears, let it be.

    “We only assemble twice or so in a week and get paid as such.”

    According to Ndume, civil servants who worked from home during the COVID-19 (coronavirus) pandemic were paid their full monthly salaries and allowances.

    He said, “So why will the federal government cut university lecturers’ salaries because they went on legitimate strike? Constitutionally, they’re fighting for their rights and privileges.”

    Ndume added, “As a matter of priority and as a public servant in the legislative chambers, we do not work, so why don’t you just give us half salaries and then pay ASUU.”

  • Gbajabiamila clarifies ASUU half salary payment

    Gbajabiamila clarifies ASUU half salary payment

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila has clarified the reason why lecturers may not get fully paid for the eight months the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) was on strike.

    Gbajabiamila, in a statement on Monday, said the approval of President Muhammadu Buhari for the proposal of “partial” payment was being awaited.

    Titled ‘Statement by the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila on the resolution of outstanding issues between the Academic Staff Union of Universities and the Federal Government of Nigeria,’ the statement reads: “When the Academic Staff Union of Universities called off their industrial action three weeks ago, it meant that academic activities could resume in our nation’s public universities, and students could return to their academic pursuits after the prolonged interruption. This decision was rightly heralded nationwide as the correct decision.

    “Since then, the Executive and the House of Representatives have worked to address the issues that led to the strike. We are currently working on the 2023 Appropriations Bill, which includes the sum of N170,000,000,000 to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers. The bill also includes additional N300,000,000,000 in revitalisation funds to improve the infrastructure and operations of federal universities.

    “Furthermore, the House of Representatives has convened the Accountant General of the Federation, the Academic Staff Union of Universities and other stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System. This effort is being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman.

    “The Executive position that it is not obligated to pay salaries to adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System. This effort is being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman.

    “The Executive position that it is not obligated to pay salaries to lecturers for the time spent on strike is premised on the law and the government’s legitimate interest in preventing moral hazard and discouraging disruptive industrial actions. Nonetheless, interventions have been made to explore the possibility of partial payments to the lecturers. We look forward to a favourable consideration by His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, who has manifested his desire to what is prudent and necessary to resolve all outstanding issues.

    “Implementing meaningful change takes time, especially when appropriations and modifications to systems such as IPPIS are required. Therefore, I urge all parties to be patient and grant each other the presumption of goodwill to the extent necessary to achieve our shared objectives. This is not a time for political brinkmanship. There is no more pressing objective than to preclude the possibility of further disruptions to the academic calendar of the universities. We must prevent this possibility by all means, as these disruptions risk the promise and potential of our nation’s youth.”

  • ASUU: Gbajabiamila calls for calm amidst claims of half salary

    ASUU: Gbajabiamila calls for calm amidst claims of half salary

    The Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep. Femi Gbajabiamila, has urged members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to remain calm over their claim of half salary payment by the Federal Government.

    In a statement he personally signed in Abuja on Monday, the Speaker noted that efforts to find lasting solutions to the concerns frequently raised by ASUU were ongoing.

    He said President Muhammadu Buhari had indicated interest to wade into the latest concerns raised by the union.

    “When the ASUU called off its industrial action three weeks ago, it meant that academic activities could resume in our nation’s public universities,” he said.

    He said the executive and the House of Reps had worked to address the issues that led to the strike, adding that the House is currently working on the 2023 Appropriations Bill.

    This, according to him, includes N170 billion to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers.

    He said the bill included additional N300 billion revitalisation fund to improve the infrastructure and operations of the federal universities.

    “Furthermore, the House of Reps has convened the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), ASUU and other stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS),” he said.

    He said the effort was being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman.

    Gbajabiamila, however, noted that the position taken by the executive that it is not obligated to pay salaries to lecturers for the time spent on strike is premised on the law.

    He said the decision was also premised on the government’s legitimate interest in preventing moral hazard and discouraging disruptive industrial actions.

    The speaker said that intervention had been made to explore the possibility of partial payments to the lecturers, adding that it looked forward to a favourable consideration by the president.

    He said Buhari had manifested his desire to what was prudent and necessary to resolve all outstanding issues.
    Gbajabiamila said the house is convening a national summit on Tertiary Education Reform, adding that it had called for papers and memoranda from members of the public.

    He said submissions received as well as expert presentations at the summit would inform the policy recommendations and actions.

  • Alleged OAU randy lecturer placed on salary reduction

    The management of the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, Osun State, on Wednesday said it had started investigations into the allegations of request for sex levelled against a lecturer, Olabisi Olaleye, by a female student, Motunrayo Afolayan.

    Afolayan is a 400- level student in the Department of International Relations in the Faculty of Administration of the university where Olaleye teaches.

    This renewed allegation is coming after a professor of Accounting, Richard Akindele, was convicted for sexually harassing a female student, Monica Osagie, in 2018.

    Akindele, who demanded sex from Miss Osagie to help increase her grades, has since been sacked from the university.

    The Public Relations Officer of OAU, Abiodun Olarewaju, said that when the incident was reported last year, the management immediately set up a panel to investigate it.

    He, however, said even while the report of the panel was still being expected, the management had placed the lecturer on half salary.

    “The lecturer has appeared before a panel, headed by Prof. Yetunde Ajibade, the provost of the Postgraduate College. The lecturer appeared and the student also appeared before the panel.

    “The panel has not concluded its findings but the lecturer has been placed on half salary pending the submission of report of the panel.

    “This is a clear signal that the OAU management will not condone any act of sexual harassment, sexual intimidation or any other form of intimidation or sexual assault.

    “That was why when she (the student) lodged a complaint with the authorities, irrespective of the fact that her result had been released, the university still set up the panel to investigate the matter,” Olarewaju told PUNCH.

    On why the lecturer was placed on half salary when the panel had not concluded its investigations, Olarewaju said he could not provide any reason for that.

    However, a top source close to the panel said, “The university took the decision because from our preliminary investigation, a prima facie case was established against the lecturer and in that circumstance, the best thing to do is to place him on half salary.

    “But if at the end of the case, the panel gives him a clean bill of health, his salaries will be released and if otherwise, the rule will be applied and the rule is dismissal because lecturers are supposed to be good role model, and loco parentis to our students. Or is it right for a father to sleep with her daughter?”

    On how a prima facie case was established against him, the source said the evidence provided by the female student “was convincing.”

    Though the source did not give details, another source said Afolayan presented a voice recording of where the lecturer was telling her that she would not pass his course until he slept with her, among other amorous comments.

    Asked to confirm this, Olarewaju declined, saying details might be made public after the panel submitted its report.

    “But I can assure you that the OAU, will through this case, be sending a clear signal to the public that our students are our children and we have the moral burden to treat this issue as objectively as possible. Justice will be done,” he said.

     

  • JUST IN: Osun workers commence strike over half salary payment

    Workers in Osun State on Wednesday commenced an indefinite strike over the payment of half salaries by the Rauf Aregbesola led government.

    Labour leaders led by the Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress in Osun State, Mr. Jacob Adekomi, on led other unions’ leaders to the State Secretariat at Abere to shut down the place as workers commenced the indefinite strike action.

    Labour leaders had on Friday announced that they would begin an indefinite strike immediately after the Christmas break over modulated salary, lack of promotion and the non-remittance of their contributory pension deductions to workers’ pension accounts.

    The NLC chairman, the chairman of Nigeria Union of Teachers, Mr. Amudah Wakeel and other Labour leaders stormed the secretariat gate as early as 7am on Wednesday to ensure compliance with the directive from the labour leaders.

    The NUT chairman, who spoke to our correspondent said workers from grade level 01 to 07 who were collecting full salary joined the strike because the strike was not based on the issue of half salary alone.

    He expressed satisfaction with the level of compliance to the strike directive which he described as a total one.

    He said, “We are on strike in Osun. We are here at the State Government Secretariat, Abere to ensure a total compliance to the strike directive.

    “As you can see, no worker came to resume work today because they are our members and the labour directed that they should stay at home.

    “The labour is indivisible, that is why those who are collecting full salaries also complied. The strike is not even about half salary alone. The issue of promotion is there, pension is there and are you saying those from level 1 to 7 will not retire in the future?

    “The compliance is total and we are happy about it. Nobody can divide us. The labour is one indivisible family whether you are on level one, 13 or any level.”

    The workers had during their last meeting with Governor Rauf Aregbesola insisted that the state had the financial ability to pay them full salaries. They said most of them had been collecting half salaries since September 2015 and the governor still didn’t want to change this even after collecting N6.3 billion third tranche of the Paris Club refund.

    But the governor had said while addressing workers during the Civil Service Week that 72 per cent of the state workforce were collecting full salaries while just 28 per cent were being paid modulated salaries.

    He lauded them for their perseverance and promised that the season of famine would end by March 2018.