ASUU Strike: Kano approves over N400 million earned allowances for lecturers in state varsities

Kano State Executive Council has approved over N400 million as part of the payment of the earned allowances for academic staff in the two state-owned universities.

The approval for the large sum was part of frantic efforts by the state government to motivate the lecturers to pull out of the seven months old indefinite strike action embarked upon by ASUU nationwide.

Besides, the settlement of the earned allowances, the Abdullahi Umar Ganduje-led government has sustained the salaries of the academic and non-academic staff in the two institutions while they embarked on solidarity action in the last six months.

Announcing the approval at the end of the weekly council meeting, the State Commissioner for Information, Malam Muhammad Garba, disclosed more than 287 eligible lecturers would benefit from Yusuf Maitama Sule University (YMSU).

Garba said the monies which would be paid on installment trenches beginning from the month of October 2022 cover all the outstanding allowances of the academic staff.

Garba stated that a breakdown of the amount translates to N297, 643, 990 payable to staff already verified while the sum of N6, 501, 745 is estimated for the settlement of 10 other academic staff whose names were inadvertently omitted during the previous payment exercise.

The commissioner revealed that approval has also included N82, 101, 600.00 for direct furnishing and provision of equipment to the Faculty of Science at YMSU, to provide a more conducive atmosphere for research, teaching and learning at the Ivory Tower.

He said the approval for the furnishing exercise would be on phase I, wing A faculty building at the main campus of the university, which has a total capacity structure of 56 staff offices and seven lecture halls.

The commissioner also announced that the council has approved the release of N84, 923, 601 to the Aliko Dangote University of Science and Technology, Wudil, which also covers payment of outstanding Students Industrial Work Experience Scheme (SIWES) and Teaching Practice Allowances for two sessions of 2019/2020 and 2021/2022 to eligible academic staff.

He explained that the amount extended to SIWES supervision allowances, transportation, field course and teaching practice supervision to deserving staff of the university.

The state government has engaged the lecturers in two consecutive meetings appealing to them to withdraw from the indefinite strike in the interest of students and parents.