A letter dated March 30, 2023, addressed to the Minister of Finance, Budget and National Planning and signed by Ngige, asked the finance minister to direct the Accountant General of the Federation to exempt the 204 lecturers and “be paid the outstanding arrears of their full salaries during the strike period from February 14, 2022 to date”.
But Ngige, a former Anambra governor, referring to a “letter dated March 24, 2023 and a letter dated February 2, 2023, co-signed by Deans of the Faculty of Medicine, Faculty of Basic Clinical Sciences, and Faculty of Basic Medical Sciences, of the above-named University”, said the lecturers should be paid.
“By the letters under reference the lecturers are requesting for the payment of their salaries withheld under the provisions of Section 43 of the Trade Disputes Act CAPT 8 Laws of the Federation of Nigeria 2004 which was invoked due to the strike embarked upon by the members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities on February 14, 2022 and which lasted for eight months.”
“The attached lists represent each of the three Faculties and are marked as Appendix 1 . Appendix II . Appendix III .