By: Chinenyeh Ozor
Federal government has released a whopping sum ofN1,.3 billion earned allowances to Academic Staff Union of universities, university of Nigeria , Nsukka chapter.

University of Nigeria Nsukka

Dr Ifeanyichukwu Abada, Chairman, Academic Staff Union of Nigerian universities UNN chapter (ASUU) disclosed this in an emergency Congress of ASUU at the university of Nigeria, Nsukka held at the social sciences auditorium of the university, adding that the aim of the emergency congress was to inform union members that UNN has received the sum of N1.3bn from the government as part of earned allowance arrears for 2009 to 2012 to ASUU members.

“I called this emergency ASUU congress to inform members that government has released N1.3b earned allowance for members who have been academic staff in the university from 2009 to 2012.

“Total earned allowance government is expected to pay ASUU-UNN is N3b, “he said.

He explained that the Vice-chancellor of UNN Prof Benjamin Ozumba, who informed the union of the release of N1.3b this week said government would be paying the arrears of earned allowances in batches, as another batch of earned allowance money would be expected to be released next week.

“I commend Ozumba’s efforts to ensure that earned allowance owned workers of the university is paid by government

” While N1.3b is released for academic staff about N400m was released to Non-academic staff of UNN,” he said.

The ASUU boss described Ozumba as a good leader, noting that in spite of rumour by some workers of the university that federal government had paid the money and his administration diverted it was falsehood and unfounded.

The vice-chancellor was not deterred by such unfounded allegation in his efforts to ensure that workers earned allowance was released by federal government.

“I advise university workers to always cross-check their facts to avoid circulating unfounded and baseless information against an innocent person.

” Rumour peddlers even said that Ozumba gave me N20m to seal my mouth, that is why am not talking as ASUU chairman in UNN. .

“But with the release of this N1.3b earned allowance to ASUU-UNN this week I and the vice-chancellor have been vindicated,” he said.

Abada commended government for releasing the first batch of earned allowance of UNN academic staff and urged government to ensure that the remaining amount were released as promised .

” I commend government for its decision to start paying earned allowance of UNN academic staff and plead that the remaining amount be released as promised.

“Government should after paying the remaining arrears of earned allowance, consider to build the earned allowance into workers monthly salary.

“This will help to stop the backlog of arrears and incessant strike by university workers as result of non-payment of earned allowance which disrupt academic calendar on federal universities,” he said.
Mrs Ginika Nwannani and Mr Canice Anyachukwu secretary and internal auditor respectively of ASUU-UNN were among executives present during the press briefing

Some of members of academic staff who spoke to Vanguard expressed happiness on the money released by federal government for payment of arrears of earned allowance in UNN

Some of the members said this would make lecturers to be more dedicated as well as stop future strike at federal universities in the country.