The National Universities Commission (NUC) has defended the ‘controversial’ earned allowances of members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), saying that the money was put at N92billion as contained in the agreement reached by the Federal Government and both the academic and non-academic staffs.

Apparently reacting to claim NUC letter on the matter, the chairman, University of Ibadan chapter of ASUU,Dr Segun Ajiboye said in Ibadan yesterday that the union had been vindicated by the campaign of calumny by the federal government to the effect that the earned allowances was for only academic staff.

He described the initial claims by government representatives that ASUU was demanding N92billion earned allowances for her members as a blackmail which had 'now fallen like a pack of card' While the Federal Government

claimed it had released N100billion for infrastructure uplift of federal

universities, ASUU had insisted that the amount due for injection is

N500billion naira.

Government has also maintained that it had met substantially the agreements

reached with the union with exception of N92billion earned allowances

However, in a letter dated 26th August 2013, signed by the NUC Executive Secretary, Professor Julius Okojie addressed to the Pro-Chancellor of the University of Ibadan, the NUC boss directed the governing council to provide necessary oversight in the administration of the release earned allowances payment to 'deserving academic and non-academic staff'

According to him, Nigerians should by now see that government is a government of deceit. “The government that told Nigerians some weeks ago that ASUU was demanding N92billion as allowances for its members has now written a letter that the amount is for both academic and non-academic staff in Nigeria federal universities. “This shows that our government lies with impunity.

Nigerians should know that the N92billion is to service earned allowances of both academic and non-academic staffs in Nigerian universities for three and half years from 2009,” he said. However the union had insisted on total implementation of the 2009 agreement and the 2012 Memorandum of Understanding (MOU), saying “We are not interested in tokenism. “As at now, the amount

due for injection into the Universities in the agreement is N500billion naira

and not N100billion. We want our universities back on track and we want the

best for our children. Nigerians should join the union in pressurizing the

government who had lied that it had no money only for it to now approve N100

billion. Federal government must inject the remaining funds into the

Educational system," he added.