The Federal Government on Monday met with the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) to evaluate the implementation of the Memorandum of Action (MOA) entered into by both parties. Addressing reporters at the end of the meeting, the Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige, disclosed that the meeting evaluated seven key issues.
He noted that both parties were satisfied with the implementation stages of what he termed “work in progress, hinting that some of the items in the MOA were nearly done 100 percent within the timeline. The minister stated that the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) was directed to expedite action on the integrity test on the University Transparency Accountability Solution (UTAS) which if successful, would eliminate the challenges posed by the peculiarities of the university system to the current payment platform.
He further said the government has also paid the sum of N30 billion as the University Revitalisation Fund as contained in the MOA since January. According to Ngige, the money is still lodged with the Central Bank of Nigeria pending the conclusion of the audit report of the implementation committee on the use of previous funds disbursement to universities by the Ministry of Education and the National University Commission (NUC).
“The report has been turned in, deliberated upon and both the education ministry and the NUC have promised to write to the Accountant-General of the Federation next week for the release of the money to the NEEDS Special Account for onward disbursement to universities shortly,” he said.
