The PUNCH reliably gathered in Abuja that the Federal Government was ready to pay the outstanding salary arrears of ASUU members.
It was learnt that the government also reached an understanding with the union to pay the lecturers ‘salaries as a precondition to suspending the strike.
A source privy to the agreement said, “The Federal Government has agreed to pay the salary arrears. It is part of the understanding we reached.”
When asked by one of our correspondents if the government indeed accepted to pay the salary arrears of the lecturers, Wike replied, “What is your problem? Has ASUU told you they have a problem with that?
“That they have called off the strike is the most important thing. For the other ones, leave the details for us. Any agreement we reached with ASUU must be honoured.”
The National Vice-president of ASUU, Mr. Biodun Ogunyemi, who was sighted at the NUC office in Abuja, refused to comment on the issue.
But The PUNCH gathered that both parties decided to be silent on the issue because of the controversy the decision of the government to withhold the salaries generated.
But our source said, “The Federal Government has agreed to pay the arrears immediately.”
• Agreement’ll be fully implemented –FG
The Federal Government, in a statement, reiterated its commitment to implementing all the items contained in the agreement with ASUU.
In the statement by Nwakaudu, the government said that investing N1.3tn (including the N200bn already released for this year) in infrastructure in the public universities in the next six years would transform them into international centres of excellence.
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