By Daniel Amarachi and Nneoma Nze
There are indications that the peaceful and seamless continuation of academic activities in Nigerian universities might be disrupted next year. This is because the Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU has threatened to embark of strike next year unless the federal government ameliorates the conditions of service for their members.
This is the view of the Chairman ASUU, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT, Professor Chinedu Aguba.
Professor Aguba lamented that the monthly take home pay of their members is nothing to write home about and wondered why and how a university professor could be earning in the region of ₦450, 000 and ₦460, 000 salary while a Ph,D holder as an Assistant Lecturer, is earning ₦118, 000 as his monthly salary.
“A Professor in Nigeria university goes home with N450, 000 or N460, 000 every month after deductions. A Professor in Nigeria University, it is as bad as that and the world has to know that. At times it comes down to N420, 000.
“Why I continue to talk about a professor is because he is the highest ranked person in the university. If he/she is earning that, then imagine what lecturer 11 is taking. Lecturer 11 has a Ph.D but his salary is about N118, 000,” he stated.
He stressed that such situation makes the lecturers laughing objects in the sight of transport business people especially tricycle riders who earn double of it.
“A keke driver (tricycle rider) will laugh at us to hear this thing I am talking about because that keke man makes it double every month. A lecturer 11 with Ph.D certificate is being paid N118, 000.
“This one is the main thing and they are not talking to us; that is the worst. If care is not taking, next year we would be going on strike from the body language of ASUU.”
He explained why ASUU always resort to strike as the last option to press for their demands stress that the [political leaders are hard-hearted and would always neglect their dialogue
“They always say that ASUU goes on strike every now then, but I will always challenge them, tell us the next thing to do. Strike is always used as the last option. We will write series of memos and letters for a meeting but they (federal government) would not reply us. People will always tell us to change our style from strike to diplomacy.
“We have tried those things but they don’t work because we are dealing with hardened people here as our political leaders. They are not leaders, they are rulers. Before the election took off, (general election) we applied diplomacy, our national leaders knew that the new president of the country would be either Peter Obi, Atiku Abubakar or Ahmed Tinubu. These three key people were met by our national leaders behind the camera. Each of them promised that once he gets into office, that things would be done.
“This time, you call Gbajabiamila who is the Chief of Staff to (President) Tinubu, who was giving us his words that as far as he was concerned that ASUU matters would be dealt with. Now national President will call him and he will not pick his calls. You will not answer our calls, you will not respond to mails, what else does the society want us to do order than the last resort and that last resort is the strike. That is why it appears that ASUU is always going on strike.”
