By Emmanuel Awari-Jalingo
The Executive Governor of Taraba State, Agbu Kefas, has approved the release of additional N300 million to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) and non-academic staff unions of Taraba State University in a major move to resolve the ongoing strike at the institution, bringing the total sum to N500 million.
The Commissioner, Ministry for Tertiary Education, Dr. Mike Dio Jen disclose this while speaking with Journalists in Jalingo.
He said that the present administration under Governor Dr Abgu Kefas inherited backlog of salaries, approved over N3 billion to clear all that is owned to members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), including Non-academic staff of the institution, NASU.
“Governor Kefes has released another N300 million added to the N200 million earlier released few days ago as part of agreement to clear all outstandings owing staff of the institution.
“Today, ASUU has no justification to continue with its ongoing strike action, this present administration inherited blacklog of salaries from previous administration,” he said.
According to him, the Governor has shown greatly commitment to the University.
“When Governor Kefas assumed office nearly three years ago, he inherited over N4 billion in unpaid salaries at the university. He immediately intervened with more than N1 billion, but within a shorter time after he increased the minimum wage of workers the salary bill rise to Seven Hundred Million Naira monthly.
He highlighted that the governor spent over two billion naira for building of female hostels, Nakowa hostel and renovations.
“This are efforts the governor has put to ensure that the University maintained its standard.
“The governor few weeks ago approved over two hundred and fifty million naira for Accreditation of courses and one hundred and sixty one for Convocations in all the Tertiary institutions of the state.
According to him, over N2 billion has been spent on the renovation of hostels in the institution, while a new Hostel known as the Makowa has also been constructed to improve students’ living conditions.
“Immediately we came on board we sworn into action, they were Seven demands brought by the academy union and the non-academy staff union, and all the seven demands were discussed and solved, five of them were completely settled, then the two major demands that were left is the issue of pension and gratuities, payment of backlog of salary areas and the EAA and AA.
“When the governor came in, he proved the point of agreement where two hundred million was released to them, and there was an agreement that the government will release the sum of N50 million monthly until such a time that the entire thing will be settled.
“Be it as it may, the situation we have in this country the income or resources at the disposal of the government is not consistent, its fluctuate, even what we get from the federal account is not consistent and there are competing demands, look at insecurity, it is consuming the resources we have in the State.
“When the government slashed the school fees by 50% which is the main revenue, the government decided to take over the entire payment of salaries which was Three hundred and Eight million (308,000,000) per month to Six hundreds and thirty seven million, eighteen thousand four hundreds and fourthy four naira, ninety seven Kobo per month because of the implementation of the new minimum wage which is the highest paid institution in the northern Nigeria,” he said.
The Commissioner highlighted some of the governor’s achievements in the University, noted that, Governor Agbu Kefas had earlier spent over N2b for the renovation of the hostels and N400,000,000 was expended for the building of the new hostel in the institution also gave approval of over N1.43b was given to release for the accreditation of courses in the six higher institutions in the state.
He therefore called on ASUU to reciprocate the government’s efforts by calling off the ongoing strike action and returning to classrooms, adding that the present administration remains committed to strengthening the university and improving the welfare of both staff and students.