By David Owei,Bayelsa<\/p>\n
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Niger Delta University Chapter, has faulted the recent 40 per cent allowances and approvals for workers in the public service, describing the lumping of ASUU demands with the allowances approved is misleading and a clear disinformation.<\/p>\n
According to ASUU, despite the alleged provocative attempt by the State Government to list the N2.1billion under the demand of the union to mean ASUU is demanding for over N2.99b every month as CATA, the University lecturers are insisting that the state government implement the CATA agreement signed in December, 2025 with implementation timeline to be January,2026.<\/p>\n
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Niger Delta University Chapter, led by the Branch Chairman, Comrade Oyinkepreye Lucky Bebeteidoh and the Branch Secetary, Comrade Victory C. Owede, stated that the lecturers are demanding the implementation of the computed figure of Cats for the three State owned universities amounted to N336,936,294,87 for all academic staff which has a valid signed agreement since December 23rd, 2025.<\/p>\n
Comrade Oyinkepreye Lucky Bebeteidoh, also said the ASUU is demanding for the implementation of the CATA, as contained in the agreement, ” why is the government giving “peculiar allowances” to unions that have no such agreement? Why will the State government lump the “peculiar allowances” under the demand of our union?”<\/p>\n
“The N2.144.983.337.32 put under ASUU demands is misleading and disinformation of the public to give the impression that ASUU is asking for over N2.99 billion every month as CATA.CATA was signed in December,2025 to start implementation in January, 2026.”<\/p>\n
“ASUU wrote in January,2026 to inform the state government.why is it taking them seven months before coming out with an official position of inability to pay.The excuse “that a lot of universities are yet to implement” the CATA is laughable.”<\/p>\n
He insisted that available records showed that more than 10 states,who do not get half of what comes to Bayels\u00e0 State Government from the federation account have implemented,”other states did not wait for Bayels\u00e0 State Government to implement before they started.Why will Bayels\u00e0 State Government wait for other states to implement before they do.”<\/p>\n
” The irony of punishing university staff on grounds of expecting an approval by the Federal government is a travesty of justice and a clear indication of disdain for University academics.”<\/p>\n
On the outstanding 19 months 25 per cent and 35 per cent wage award arrears, the ASUU leadership pointed out that the late implementation of wage award led to an arrears of 25 months and the payment of Six months arrears left a balance of 19 months with a promise by the state government that it will be paid when state revenue improves.<\/p>\n
He said due to the noticeable improvement in the State Inflow with Months of April and May recording a total of N95.15 billion,leaving a closing balance of N37.08 billion,” imagine this for April and May, yet the state government is claiming paucity of funds to pay the 19 months arrears totalling N2.7b.”<\/p>\n
” Meanwhile,a statement like Benue state ,with significantly less FAAC inflow implanted the 35 per cent and 25 per cent wage award and paid up the entire arrears at once. Some other states paid in three installments. For us with more FAAC inflow and declare surplus closing balance are claiming paucity of funds to pay. ”<\/p>\n
He also recalled that following the signing of the MOU of 5th February,2025, the ASUU suspends the avoidable industrial strike which was allegedly foisted on the union by the State Government,” more than a year after the signing of the MoU, no action has been taken on the issue of the on-campus university”<\/p>\n
“The absence of on-campus staff accomodation has foreclosed the development of a university culture.From 4pm every working day till the following morning around 9am, the campus is like a ghost town,apart from the few students who are accommodated in the limited hostel accomodations.”<\/p>\n
“The every silence on weekend is deafening. Since,it’s establishment,the state government has not completed any staff housing project on campus, except for the few temporary structure built under the ministry health for the commencement College of Health Science as was initially proposed. No single on-campus staff housing project has been completed in the 26 years of the existence of the University.”<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
By David Owei,Bayelsa Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), Niger Delta University Chapter, has faulted the recent 40 per cent allowances and approvals for workers in the public service, describing the lumping of ASUU demands with the allowances approved is misleading and a clear disinformation. According to ASUU, despite the alleged provocative attempt by the […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":15728,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15727","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-general-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15727","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=15727"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15727\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":15729,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/15727\/revisions\/15729"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/15728"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=15727"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=15727"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/dailyechoes.ng\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=15727"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}