Withheld salaries: Gbaja never promised FG would pay lecturers, says reps spokesperson

The house of representatives says Femi Gbajabiamila, speaker of the house, never promised that the federal government would pay members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) for the period they were on strike.

In November, Gbajabiamila had said interventions were being made to resolve the issue of withheld salaries.

Emmanuel Osodeke, ASUU president, had recently accused the speaker of failing to deliver on a written commitment that the government would pay the lecturers immediately after the strike was called off.

Commenting in a statement on Wednesday, Benjamin Kalu, chairman of the house committee on media and public affairs, said at no time did Gbajabiamila agree with ASUU that they would be paid for the period that they were on strike.

He, however, said the house resolved to support moves to improve the welfare package of university lecturers and provide more money for universities’ revitalisation fund.

Kalu also said the house has been working with stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of elements of ASUU’s University Transparency and Accountability Solution into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS).

“On Tuesday, 27th December 2022, the President of the Academic Staff Union of Universities, Professor Emmanuel Osodeke, granted an interview, accusing the Speaker of the House of Representatives, Rep Femi Gbajabiamila, of using deception to convince the union to call off its strike action,” the statement reads.

“He specifically alleged that the Speaker failed to deliver on his written commitment that the government would, without delay, offset the arrears of salaries owed to members of the union for the time they were on strike.

“For the record, at no point did the Speaker of the House of Representatives commit to offset the arrears of salaries owed to union members for the time they were on strike.

“The House of Representatives helped resolve the strike by making commitments to improve the welfare package of university lecturers and revitalisation funds to improve the infrastructure and operations of federal universities.

“These commitments are reflected in the 2023 Appropriation Bill, which includes one hundred and seventy billion naira to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers and an additional three hundred billion naira in revitalisation fund.

“This effort is being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Rep. Aminu Suleiman.

“The public interest in ensuring a well-functioning tertiary education sector is a matter of paramount concern for all who understand the transformational role of education in any society.

“For this reason, the 9th House of Representatives has been consistent in our efforts to explore avenues for reform and improvement to the framework of public education in the country from basic education through tertiary.

“Our objectives in this regard will not be achieved when stakeholders choose to ignore substantive issues and the consideration of bold ideas in favour of cheap blackmail and immoral propaganda.”

He, therefore, urged the ASUU president to work with all stakeholders for the common good of all.