News

40% Pay Rise: Crisis Looms In Varsities Over Exclusion Of Workers

Published

2 years ago

April 24, 2023

There are indications that unions in the university may rise up against the Federal Government over the alleged exclusion of their members in the 40 per cent pay rise for peculiar allowance and arrears.

The Federal Government has recently commenced payment of the approved 40 percent increase for civil servants in the federal ministries, agencies and departments under the Consolidated Public Salary Structure.

But workers in the university sector have kicked against their exclusion, describing the action of the government as a recipe for crisis.

But the Federal Government has said that there is no cause for alarm as the university workers are captured in the pay rise.

The government also said that it was waiting for the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU to conclude its negotiation on the Collective Bargaining Agreement, CBA, on the condition of service with its employer, the Ministry of Education so that it would be transmitted to the National Salaries, Income and Wages Commission.

Speaking to Vanguard on Monday, the President of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities, SSANU, Comrade Mohammed Ibrahim, said that the idea of denying university workers the salary increment is an invitation to crisis in the university sector..

Comrade Ibrahim accused the government of abandoning the agreement it entered into with the university unions, alleging that the N50 billion Earned Allowances the government promised to include in the 2023 budget has not seen the light of the day as workers were yet to receive any payment on that.

According to him, “This idea of denying university workers the salary increment is only a recipe for crisis in the education sector. Because government had promised two years ago that they were going to review the salaries putting in the re-negotiation committee and re-negotiations never got concluded.

“We have even lost the chairman of the re-negotiation committee. In the last one year we have not heard anything from the government and it is like everything has been halted.

“So if they were people who know what they want and I truly they were interested in developing the manpower of this country and having interest in the education sector, they should have considered making reality those promises they have made.

“There Is this N50 billion Earned Allowances which they said that have put in the 2023 budget, it has not seem the light of the day. There is a proposal for salary increment which they made and which has not also seen the light of the day.

“And now from nowhere we just heard that 40 per cent perculiar allowance has been given to the core civil servants, we are not averse to making lives of civil servants better by giving them any allowance but that the services being offered by the university workers. There won’t be any good civil servant, there won’t be any productive civil servants if the universities are not productive, if the university staff are not properly renumerated because you will be churning out half baked graduates and nobody will have any interest in employing any Nigerian graduate again.

“So the idea of excluding university workers from this salary enhancement is a recipe for disaster in the education sector. This is my position as SSANU President.

“And I want to call in the government to immediately without much delay release the N50 billion Earned Allowances and also implement the salary increment which we have been talking with them in the last two years.

“Meanwhile our organs will meet and take the necessary actions. I mean we will take the decisions that will be comnunicated to the public. But we are not happy with the government, we are not happy at all with the way they are handling the affairs of the university workers..”

However, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Senator Chris Ngige said that the university workers were not excluded in the pay rise, explaining that the delay in paying them was due to the inability of ASUU to conclude negotiations with its employer.

He said, “Because they (ASUU) have not concluded their Collective Bargaining with their employers, the ministry of Education. If you remember there was the Prof. (Nimi) Briggs Comnittee and that Briggs Committee reached conclusion with NAAT, SSANU and NASU.

“But there were certain observations made on the conclusion they reached with because ASUU never came for them to reach any conclusion with them. So, there were certain observations that were pointed out to education. So they will now go back to education and revalidate a new CBA and transmit immediately to salaries, income and wages. And salaries, income and wages will work on it urgently as a new CBA for condition of service and transmit to the presidential committee on salaries. We expect all this will be done within the next fortnight.”

Asked whether the commencement date to pay the 40 per cent pay rise for University workers will also be January, he responded in the affirmative.

He said, “It will commence from January because it has been captured in the 2023 budget with the present national assembly. The same will go with ASUU whenever they come back to education and accept whatever education has offered them, it will also go to salaries, income and wages commission for transmission to the presidential committee on salaries, that’s the route.

“So these other people that got their 40 per cent have been negotiating since two years or more. The Association of Senior Civil Servants, the National Civil Service Union and other related joint negotiating councils of those people, they have been negotiating. So, the 40 per cent they got took into account that they have not been having any increases with allowances before. So, it was all that the national salaries, income and wages calculated and aggregated it to 40 per cent as a peculiar allowance.

“Mark you, it is not only on salaries, it also includes their allowances. It is the entire wage structure, component of their wage, monthly wage, and annual wage that have been computed into that. Same is being done for NASU, SSANU and others.

“This time around we except CONUA and NAMDA to go into CBA for their own members”

On the complaint by SSANU that the N50 billion Earned Allowances, captured in the i2023 has not been released to them, he said: “This is what I am telling you. Even their condition of service review and everything have been captured in the 2023 budget. Not only them, the educational sector including ASUU and their allowances. These allowances are even being doubled

“There is no promise to SSANU separately, we are dealing with University unions comprehensively. It is combined. The money is more than N50 billion dedicated to the education sector. Everything has its own components, it’s more than N50 billion. For the educational sector including the Polytechnics and everybody, I think it is up to N350 billion captured in 2023 budget.”

Asked why the the money has not been released yet, Senator Ngige said, “You do one line one step. This is a fall-out of an industrial action, so we are tidying it up now starting with their condition of service of which their wage is first thing first. So it is when you do your wages that you now do extra allowances.”

News

JUST IN: FCT Head Of Service Is Dead

Published

3 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

The Pioneer Head of the Civil Service of the Federal Capital Territory, Mrs Grace Adayilo, is dead.

The late Adayilo reportedly died in the early hours of Monday, 1st of September, 2025.

The Special Assistant on Media to the HoS, Anthony Odey, confirmed the reports to our correspondent in a short text.

“Yes, please,” the text message read.

Odey, however, gave no further details surrounding the circumstances of her death.

Recall that President Bola Tinubu approved the appointment of Grace Adayilo as the Head of the Civil Service of the FCT on the 6th of October 2024, with the appointment taking effect immediately.

She made history as both the first HoS and the first female HoS of the FCT.

Before her appointment, Adayilo served as the Permanent Secretary of the Agriculture and Rural Development Secretariat.

As of the time of filing this report, no official statements have been made by the family or the FCT Administration.

News

JUST IN: Finnish Court Jails Simon Ekpa Six Years For Terrorism Offences

Published

4 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

The Päijät-Häme District Court on Monday sentenced Nigerian-born Finnish, Simon Ekpa, to six years in prison for terrorism-related crimes and other offences, according to official court documents seen by BBC News Pidgin on Monday.

The 40-year-old former municipal politician from Lahti was convicted on multiple charges, including participation in the activities of a terrorist organisation, incitement to commit crimes for terrorist purposes, aggravated tax fraud, and violations of the Lawyers Act.

The court ordered that Ekpa remain in custody.

According to the judgment, between August 2021 and November 2024, Ekpa attempted to promote the independence of the so-called Biafra region in southeastern Nigeria through illegal means.

“He used social media to gain a politically influential position and took advantage of the confusion within a key separatist movement in Nigeria to play a significant role in it,” the court statement stated as reported by BBC News pidgin.

Ekpa denied all the charges against him.

The court also found that Ekpa was instrumental in founding and developing the separatist movement into a more organised structure, working alongside others.

It was revealed during the trial that armed groups were established under the movement, which the court classified as terrorist organisations.

“Ekpa equipped the groups with weapons, explosives and ammunition through his contact network. He also urged and enticed his followers on X (formerly Twitter) to commit crimes in Nigeria,” the court said.

The trial was conducted over 12 sessions between May 30 and June 25, 2025, with a panel of three judges unanimously delivering the verdict.

Finnish authorities arrested Ekpa in December 2024 on charges linked to terrorism.

He was held on probable cause and suspicion of publicly inciting people to commit crimes with terrorist intent.

The alleged offences were said to have occurred between August 23, 2021, and November 2024, primarily in the city of Lahti.

The Finnish National Bureau of Investigation also initially arrested four other men in connection with the case. However, charges against them were later dropped due to insufficient evidence.

Ekpa, who previously served as a municipal councillor in Lahti, is widely known for his controversial role in the Biafran separatist movement.

His online broadcasts and social media activity have drawn both support and condemnation within and outside Nigeria.

News

JUST IN: Doctors Issue 10-day Ultimatum, Threaten Strike

Published

5 hours ago

September 1, 2025

Editor

The Nigerian Association of Resident Doctors issued a 10-day ultimatum to all relevant government agencies on Monday, warning that its members would embark on a nationwide strike if the demands were not met.

NARD disclosed this in a communiqué signed by its President, Dr. Tope Osundara; the General Secretary, Dr. Oluwasola Odunbaku; and Publicity and the Social Secretary, Omoha Amobi, issued after its Extraordinary National Executive Council meeting, which was held virtually on Sunday.

In July, NARD had issued a three-week ultimatum, but in the interest of industrial harmony, the NEC granted the National Officers’ Committee an additional three weeks to engage with all relevant stakeholders, after which it would reconvene to reassess the extent of implementation of its demands.

In Sunday’s meeting, the E-NEC condemned the failure of the Federal Government to fulfil its promises, noting with dismay that a substantial number of resident doctors remain unpaid for their 2025 Medical Residency Training Fund, and the refusal to pay the outstanding five months’ arrears arising from the 25 per cent/35 per cent Consolidated Medical Salary Structure review, as well as other longstanding salary arrears.

It also condemned the government’s failure to pay the arrears of the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance.

“The E-NEC expressed displeasure over the unjust downgrading of the membership certificates of the West African Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons by the Medical and Dental Council of Nigeria, as well as the persistent non-issuance of membership certificates by the National Postgraduate Medical College of Nigeria.

“The E-NEC condemned in strong terms the failure of the Kaduna State Government to honour its commitments to members under ARD Kaduna and Barau Dikko Teaching Hospital, despite earlier agreements and signed Memoranda of Understanding. The E-NEC condemned the failure of the Oyo State Government to address the challenges faced by members of ARD LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho, despite an ongoing indefinite strike action in the hospital,” it noted.

It, however, commended state governors who have demonstrated commitment to the welfare of doctors by paying the 2025 MRTF.

Meanwhile, the doctors said that if their demands are not met by September 10, 2025, they would embark on a nationwide strike.

E-NEC, however, demands the immediate payment of the outstanding 2025 MRTF to all eligible resident doctors by the Federal Government, as well as the settlement of the outstanding five months’ arrears of CONMESS, alongside other longstanding salary arrears.

The Council also demands, “The immediate payment of the arrears of the 2024 Accoutrement Allowance. The E-NEC demands the commencement of payment of specialist allowances to all doctors without further delay, given their indispensable role in delivering specialist medical care across the nation. The E-NEC demands that the MDCN immediately restore the recognition of the West African postgraduate membership certificates to their rightful status and calls on the NPMCN to commence without delay the issuance of membership certificates to all deserving candidates, in line with international best practices.

“The E-NEC demands the immediate implementation of the 2024 CONMESS and resolution of all outstanding welfare concerns in Kaduna State, noting that the indefinite strike by our members has already resumed and will continue until these demands are met. The E-NEC demands that the Governor of Oyo State, His Excellency Governor Seyi Makinde, immediately resolve the welfare concerns of resident doctors under the employment of the state government, particularly those at LAUTECH Teaching Hospital, Ogbomosho.

“The E-NEC urges all State Governors to prioritise the welfare of doctors in their state-owned hospitals and training institutions, ensure the timely payment of MRTF to their resident doctors, and take proactive steps to curb emigration while maintaining industrial harmony.

“The E-NEC extends the ultimatum by a final 10 days to all relevant government agencies to meet these demands. Failure to do so within this period (expiring on Wednesday, 10th September 2025) will leave the NEC with no other option than to embark on a nationwide strike action.”