Gbajabiamila, however, noted that the position taken by the executive that it is not obligated to pay salaries to ASUU members for the time spent on strike is premised on the law.
By Jeffrey Agbo
Speaker of the House of Representatives, Femi Gbajabiamila, has called for calm among lecturers who were reportedly paid half salaries, noting that President Muhammadu Buhari had indicated interest to wade into the latest concerns raised by the union.
In a statement he personally signed in Abuja on Monday, Gbajabiamila noted that efforts to find lasting solutions to the concerns frequently raised by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) were ongoing.
He said the executive and the House of Reps worked to address the issues that led to the eight-month strike, adding that the House is currently working on the 2023 Appropriations Bill.
This, according to him, includes N170 billion to provide increment in the welfare package of university lecturers.
He said the bill included additional N300 billion revitalisation fund to improve the infrastructure and operations of the federal universities.
“Furthermore, the House of Reps has convened the Accountant-General of the Federation (AGF), ASUU and other stakeholders to facilitate the adoption of elements of the University Transparency and Accountability Solution (UTAS) into the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS),” he said.
The Speaker said the effort was being supervised by the Chairman of the House Committee on Tertiary Education, Aminu Suleiman.
Gbajabiamila, however, noted that the position taken by the executive that it is not obligated to pay salaries to ASUU members for the time spent on strike is premised on the law.
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He said the decision was also premised on the government’s legitimate interest in preventing moral hazard and discouraging disruptive industrial actions.
Gbajabiamila said that intervention had been made to explore the possibility of partial payments to ASUU members, adding that it looked forward to a favourable consideration by the president.
He said Buhari had manifested his desire for what was prudent and necessary to resolve all outstanding issues.
Gbajabiamila said the House is convening a national summit on Tertiary Education Reform, adding that it had called for papers and memoranda from members of the public.
He said submissions received as well as expert presentations at the summit would inform the policy recommendations and actions.