The House of Representatives has said that it is making arrangements for a N170 billion fund for the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the 2023 budget.
Speaker of the House, Femi Gbajabiamila, disclosed this in a statement on Monday, saying the move will provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers.
According to him, efforts were ongoing to find lasting solutions to all the issues raised by ASUU. He stated that the budget included an additional N300 billion revitalization fund to improve the infrastructure and operations of the federal universities.
“We are currently working on the 2023 Appropriations Bill, which includes the sum of one hundred and seventy billion naira (N170,000,000,000.00) to provide a level of increment in the welfare package of university lecturers,” the statement read.
“The Bill also includes an additional three hundred billion naira (N300,000,000,000.00) in revitalization funds to improve the infrastructure and operations of federal universities.”
The Speaker explained that President Muhammadu is interested in looking into the latest issues and concerns raised by the varsity teachers.
The ‘no work no pay’ policy embarked on by the Federal Government during the period of strike, Gbajabiamila said, is premised on the law.
He said the decision is based on the government’s legitimate interest in preventing moral hazard and discouraging disruptive industrial actions.