TheCable

Adamu Adamu, minister of education, says the federal government has approved an additional N25 billion allowance for members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

Speaking at a valedictory press conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Adamu said the newly approved fund is different from the N20 billion earlier released in 2018.

He assured that the beneficiary institutions would get the money directly and urged ASUU to shelve further strikes to make room for peaceful negotiations.

The minister said the current administration inherited an unrealistic agreement of N1.3 trillion during when it took over power in 2015.

“The sad news is that the N200 billion that was released to the Central Bank of Nigeria since 2013 for the universities has not been fully accessed. In specific terms, all the 73 public varsities have accessed the 1st tranche of 50 percent of the N200 billion,” he said.

“For the second tranche of 40 percent, only 56 institutions have been able to access their funds. The last 10 percent representing the third tranche of the N200 billion has not been accessed at all.”

Also speaking at the event, Anthony Anwukah, the minister of state for education, said the federal government has approved the establishment of a secondary education commission to oversee operations of secondary schools.

Anwukah said the government has slashed the charges paid in unity schools across the country; reducing parents, teachers association (PTA) levy to N5,000.