Contrary to reports from the office of the Minister of Education that the sum of N25 billion has been approved by the Federal Government for university lecturers as Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), the President of Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Prof. Biodun Ogunyemi has said no such funds had been released.
Speaking to newsmen on Wednesday night, Ogunyemi said the Minister was not sincere about the alleged approval of the fund, stating that the Union has been seeking the said amount since February but has been tossed from one office to another without result.
He warned that the Federal Government should be held responsible if aggrieved University lecturers decide to embark on fresh industrial action.
“Following the signing of the MOA, the union expected, as agreed, that the N25 billion EAA part-payment would be paid between 25th February 2019 and 28th February 2019.
“As we speak today, there is no evidence that mainstreaming of EAA into the annual budget, beginning from this year, has been done. Indeed what has been going on is the tossing around of the agreement document between the offices of the Minister of Education and Finance.
“All our efforts to track the said N25 billion at the office of the Accountant-General of the Federation have proved abortive. This is not only unacceptable to us but disheartening and frustrating to our members across the country.
“It is frustrating because we have visited the Ministry of education at least three times and written letters to the Ministry since we signed the MOA in February 2019, all to no avail. This is a complete breach of trust on the part of the government.”
Ogunyemi said the union expects nothing less than the immediate release of the N25 billion to their members who are entitled to such claims and the mainstreaming of EAA into the annual budget as agreed in the MOA.