ASUU Strike: FG agrees to pay N34bn minimum wage arrears

The federal government says it would spend about N34 billion on the ongoing payment of minimum wage consequential adjustments to education sector workers with effect from 2019.

The beneficiaries include members of the striking academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, and their counterparts in the polytechnics and colleges of education.

Minister of labour and employment, Chris Ngige, said the universities would get n23.5 billion, the polytechnics n6 billion and the colleges of education n4 billion, totaling about n34 billion.

On the ASUU strike, the minister said the committees set up during the last tripartite-plus meeting of the government and university-based unions were given a fortnight to turn in their report, and they were still working.

He explained that the reports of the committees were being expected this weekend.

Ngige assured Nigerians that there may likely be wage adjustments as the government intensifies efforts to streamline wages through the national salaries, incomes and wages commission.