Minister of Education, Adamu Adamu, has disclosed that the Federal Government has made arrangement to release the sum of N23 billion to the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU).

He made this known while speaking on Tuesday before the Senate Committee on Tertiary Institutions and TETFUND, led by Senator Jibrin Barau.

According to him, plans are on ground to honour the agreement between the FG and ASUU.

He stated that the Minister of Finance, Kemi Adeosun, had already approved a total N53bn for the union so far, adding that the balance of N23bn would be released on Monday when the striking lecturers would receive the cheque.

He however said, “We didn’t agree with ASUU on their request that TSA should be taken out. I told them that it is not possible because it is a new policy and government is not going to change it for anyone.

“Concerning their salary short fall, we said the reason springs from universities employing people without proper authority.

“For instance, a university can just decide to go and recruit 50 people without notifying IPPIS. So, what they are going to get is the money they got last month, which will not be sufficient for them. We have told them that institutions should, henceforth, stop doing that and they accepted.

The Minister finally Said that he is optimistic that the strike will be called of within then next one week maximum.