The Federal government has denied the allegation that it owes university lecturers several months salaries and check-off dues, over which the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened to commence a fresh strike.
The union had accused the government of owing over 1,000 of its members between two and 16 months’ salaries.
It also accused the government of failing to remit check–off dues of its members as agreed in the Memorandum of Action, which led to the suspension its nine–month strike.
The latest face-off is coming from the chairman of the union at the University of Jos (UNIJOS), Dr. Lazarus Maigoro.
The union leader accused the Accountant General of the Federation (AGF) of withholding the salaries of over 100 members of ASUU at UNIJOS in a statement at the weekend.
But the director in charge of the Integrated Payroll and Personnel Information System (IPPIS) at the AGF’s office, Ben Nsikak, denied that the government is owing the university lecturers 13 months’ salary.
The director urged ASUU to reach out to the OAGF through the university’s Bursar for reconciliation and payment.
Nsikak said: “The allegation of non-payment of over 1,000 staff of ASUU members for 13 months is not true. Salaries are paid as at when due and the OAGF cannot leave out UNIJOS lecturers for 13 months when others are paid.
“If there are issues in UNIJOS, ASUU should reach out to OAGF through their Bursar for reconciliation and payment.”
ASUU members recently resumed work after a prolonged strike caused by a dispute with the Federal government.
The “indefinite strike”, which began in March last year, arose from the union’s rejection of what it called the use of force on its members to enroll on IPPIS, a payroll software mandated for all public officials.