By Chiekezie Emmanuel

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASSU) ESUT chapter has expressed its displeasure over the ugly treatment meted out to the union by the Federal Government. On Tuesday, after a meeting held at Prof. Julius Onah Auditorium, ESUT, the academic staff rallied on the road and asked the Federal Government for quick intervention and fully implement the 2009 agreement it reached with the union.

According to the Acting ASSU Chairman, ESUT chapter, Dr. Andrew Apeh, the agreement they had with the Federal Government since 2009 has not been implemented, and there has been no effort from the government to address their concerns. He described as hypocritical for the government to offer loans when they have not paid their salaries and other entitlements.

“We are not asking for loans; we are asking for our rights. If you have money to give us loans, why not pay us our salaries and other entitlements that are due to us?” he queried.

 He added that the Federal Government has a habit of bringing loans to distract the union whenever they plan to hold conferences.

The ASSU Chairman highlighted several issues that the union is demanding the government to address, including the proliferation of universities, funding of existing universities, and payment of three months’ salary arrears. He stated that the government has not been able to fund existing universities and yet continues to create new ones.

The rally, according to Dr. Apeh, was to show support and solidarity with their members across the country and to shout out to anyone who cares to know what they need and help them reach out to authorities.

Also speaking, a member of the union, Prof. Mmaduabum Nneka emphasized that the protest was about their welfare. She stated that the lecturers are not well-treated, and the agreement they have with the governments since 2009 have not been implemented.

“We just gathered here to make our feelings known to the government,” she said. She recalled that the last time they planned to go on strike, the government and parents appealed to them to go back to the classroom while they negotiated, and they did not go on strike because they considered the pleas of their parents and children. However, the government has not done what they promised, which is why they are there to remind them.

It Could be recalled that the National leadership of ASUU had directed their branch unions to immediately shut down their respective institutions following the federal government’s failure to meet their demands.

The university lecturers premised their resolutions to put the tertiary institutions under lock and key again after two years of a similar scenario happening over the failed implementation of the renegotiated agreement, payment of withheld salaries, improved funding of the nation’s institutions, among others.

Armed with placards during a nationwide protest across the country on Tuesday, the university teachers also announced total rejection of the recently introduced Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund loan scheme, arguing that what academics and researchers need is their legitimate earnings and grants, not loans.

Some of the states where the academics demonstrated include Maiduguri, Kano, Jos, Lagos, Uyo, Enugu, among others

Below is video of the protest

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Ahead of the 2024 Academic Staff Union of Universities, ASUU, Enugu State University of Science and Technology, ESUT branch’s election slated to hold on Thursday, August 29,
Dr Ejike Hyacinth Mgbenkemdi has withdrawn from the chairmanship race.

Dr Mgbenkemdi announced his withdrawal from the election in a letter dated August 25, 2024 and sent to the ASUU-ESUT Electoral Committee, said that his stepping down was for personal reasons. He didn’t endorse any of the remaining two candidates.

“I write to inform you that I have stepped down from the ASSU-ESUT chairmanship election for personal reasons.

“Sorry for the inconveniences this might cause you and your team,” Dr Mgbenkemdi’s letter, made available to ESUT Monitor, reads.

Dr Mgbenkemdi’s withdrawal has now thrown the race for the chairmanship position of ASUU-ESUT between Professor Eneje Lawrence and Professor Nnamani Emeka.

The election will hold in two venues, Board Room, ESUT College of Medicine, Enugu and Prof Julius Onah Auditorium, ESUT, Agbani simultaneously starting by 9am.

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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

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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.”

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