The Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, at the Federal University of Technology Minna, FUTMINNA, branch has decried the ongoing struggles faced by Nigerian universities due to the federal government’s negligence and lack of goodwill.
In a press conference held at the main campus Gidan-Kwano, the union’s chairman, Professor Luqman ‘Kunle Oyewobi, expressed frustration over the federal government’s persistent neglect of lecturers’ welfare and longstanding agreements.
According to Oyewobi, the issues are not new to the public but the government’s inaction has led to a dire situation for the university system, hence the decision by universities to embark on peaceful protest across the country.
He explained that the main contentious issues include the failure to complete the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU–FGN Agreement, withholding of three and a half months’ salary of lecturers, and outstanding arrears comprising one year’s 25%/35% wage award, four years of unpaid promotion arrears, as well as withheld third-party deductions for Cooperatives and Union levies.
The university’s ASUU chairman stated that currently, a full professor at a public university receives less than $350 per month, a sum that is little compared to that of colleagues in neighbouring countries and beyond.
“Regrettably, the existing salary framework was last reviewed in 2009, rendering Nigerian professors the least paid in Africa,” he maintained.
He called on the federal government to address the lingering issues plaguing the university system, as failure may force ASUU to embark on a nation wide indefinite industrial action.
Professors Akanya and Musa Galadima, who have served for 45 and 43 years, respectively, shared their personal struggles.
Akanya lamented that despite her long service, she will retire without being adequately rewarded, while Galadima expressed frustration over the degeneration of conditions of service over the years.
She noted, “How can a nation be made strong without the intellectuals? We are not just fighting a fake battle, government should look into it”
According to Galadima, “When we joined the university back then, we were proud to be academics with good conditions of service, but now our conditions of service have degenerated from year to year. Government should look into these issues”
ASUU FUT Minna decries hardship faced by Nigerian Universities, accuse FG of negligence
