“If we are in a recession and you are asking us to pay you N284 billion, nobody will pay it because the money is not there,”

The Federal Government yesterday said it could not afford the N284 billion earned allowances being demanded by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU). Earned allowances are the emoluments the lecturers are entitled to enhance academic productivity and increase research output.

The Federal Government has met seven of the eight demands of aggrieved university lecturers. One of the demands that could not be met is the N284 billion allowance owed the lecturers, and which the government cannot meet now because of “recession,” an official said.

The university lecturers association, ASUU, embarked on a one week warning strike last Wednesday which was called off yesterday evening.

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The Minister of Labour and Employment, Chris Ngige told reporters after the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting presided over by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo in Abuja that of the eight demands made by ASUU, the earned allowances could not be trashed out “because everybody knows and agrees that we are in recession. If we are in a recession, and you are asking us to pay you N284 billion, nobody will pay it because the money is not there.