By Amaechi Agbo

The Academic Union of Universities, ASUU has called for implementation of the ₦1.2 million minimum salary for University Professors

Chairman, ASUU, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Professor Chinedu Aguba made the call in an interview with ESUT Monitor Newspaper in his office in Enugu.

The erudite scholar who spoke on the side-line of the exemption of universities, polytechnics and colleges of education from the Integrated Personnel Payroll Information System (IPPIS) payment platform, said although the removal was a good news but added that it is one solution out of several challenges facing the tertiary institutions.

Prof Aguba noted that the struggle for a better university system in the country is a continuous process despite the recent pronouncement by the federal government adding that the last time the lecturers’ salaries were reviewed was 13 years ago wondering how such amount would sustain them in the present day hipper inflation in the country.

“The struggle continues because IPPIS is just one out of various issues that ASUU tabled before the government that led us into that strike. The last time university lecturers’ salaries were reviewed upwardly in Nigeria was in 2009 till date. What was the value of dollar to Naira then compared to now?

“A professor who is the highest person in the university by rank in Nigeria goes home every month with something less than 500 dollars. It is incredible and ridiculous. It tells you why there are cases of bribery these days. Why a professor receives less than 500 dollars, something that is less than what a nanny receives in US in a month is what a professor is receiving today in Nigeria. It is as bad as that. Upward review of salary is very key.

“A Committee was formed under former President Mohammadu Buhari’s regime headed by erudite Professor Nimi Briggs.

“The report was not even a wonderful template but was manageable and said that minimum salary of a professor should be about N1.2 million. The government representatives were there, everybody agreed to that. Only for Dr Chris Ngige, (then minister of Labour) – his name will continue to be in the mud as far as ASUU’s snuggles in this country are concerned. Government representatives were in the agreement, all of a sudden, they did u-turn and said they will not sign it after several months of negotiations because the committee did not arrive at the figure just one day.

“Both Government and ASUU representatives were there, they did it for months and came out with figures. Up till today, ASUU is clamouring that the document, even though that inflation has affected it, but we are saying bring out that document and start implementation.” He said.

A Professor in Nigeria University, it’s gathered, currently earns between N450, 000 and N460, 000 salary every month after deductions. Sometimes, the figure could go down to N420, 000