FG releases N527.6m to pay unity schools’ staff

The Federal Budget Office has released N527.6m to the Central Bank of Nigeria for the settlement of salary arrears and entitlements of staffs of the 104 Federal Unity Colleges in the country.

The staffs of the unity colleges have been on strike for the past three weeks.

The money, which is part of the arrears and entitlements estimated at N1.8bn, is for onward transmission to the Federal Ministry of Education to start the payment of the first batch of promotion arrears.

But the Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria has directed its members in the Federal Ministry of Education to continue with the industrial action “until directed otherwise.”

The ASCSN in a statement by its Secretary-General, Mr. Alade Lawal, on Thursday in Abuja, said the strike would continue until the government meets the association’s demands, particularly the payment of promotion arrears to its   members in the Federal Ministry of Education Headquarters, the Inspectorate Offices and the unity colleges.

Lawal said, “We can confirm that the sum of N527,643,440.00 has been released by the Budget Office to the CBN for onward transmission to the Federal Ministry of Education to start the payment of the first batch of promotion arrears.

“We are hopeful that the money will start dropping into the personal accounts of members of the association at the headquarters of the ministry, the Inspectorate Offices and the 104 Federal Unity Colleges beginning from Friday (today)”

According to him, a meeting which held at the Federal Ministry of Labour and Productivity on Wednesday, with the representatives of ASCSN and the Federal Ministry of Education in attendance, had agreed that the tripartite task force should continue to work to ensure the release of the outstanding N1.7bn with the Budget Office.

The sum, he said, would cover all other arrears of promotion and other allowances.

“Other conclusions reached at the Wednesday meeting include the fact that both parties to the dispute should get the necessary mandate from their principals so that when the tripartite meeting reconvenes on Wednesday, October 15, 2014, the strike would be reviewed,” he added.

The ASCSN scribe commended “the heroic actions” of its members.

Source: Punch