By 
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), branch of Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike, on Tuesday protested over what they called federal government’s “inhumane treatment”.
ASUU, over the years has accused the federal government of Nigeria of being insensitive to the plights of university lecturers and total neglect of university education leading to decay in Universities in the country.
The peaceful protest, which was held simultaneously in all branches of ASUU in the 36 states of the federation, saw the ASUU MOUAU Lecturers troop out in their large numbers walking round the University environment with placards bearing various inscriptions such as, “Government Makes Lecturing Job Unattractive So the Japa Syndrome “, “National Assembly Pay Us Before You Increase Your Own Salary”, Territory Institutions Staff Support Fund is a Scam, it’s a Distraction “, among others.
According to the protesting lecturers, they have remained on one salary scale without review for more than fifteen years in addition to lack of promotion and teaching allowances.
They also stated that the 2009 agreement with the Federal government, has been re-negotiated three times without FG signing it into law, adding that despite this, they are still discharging their duties, graduating students amid the inhumane treatment.
Addressing Journalists during the protest, the Chairman, ASUU branch of MOUAU, Prof. Chike Ugwuene, said they can no longer keep quiet and watch the federal government subject them to this inhuman treatment, saying that the way of dialogue has been taken, peaceful protests have been instituted, stressing that it has yielded no result.
Prof. Ugwuene decried that instead of addressing their plights, the Federal Government has asked them to access the Tertiary Institution Staff Support Fund (TISSF), a welfare fund established at enhancing the well-being of tertiary institution staff, pointing out that they cannot accept the loan as the burden of paying back will be huge on the University Lecturers.
The MOUAU Lecturer called on FG to pay their 3 and half months salary arrears which led to the 2022 strike action, release of revitalisation fund to Universities as already captured in the budget.
Contributing, the duo of Prof. Uzochukwu Onyebinama and Prof. Chukwuma Ofor, said a situation where a professor is taking home less than N500,000 a month is terrible. They wondered why their salaries should be held for months, stressing that they have been “cast aside from the wonders they have made”.
The lecturers reiterated that they have made wonders through graduating professionals in various fields of human endeavor, insisting that they deserve to be treated fairly by the federal government but unfortunately, the reverse is the case.
The duo decried that pressing needs of their respective families have also taken a toll on them, adding that payment of rents, school fees of family members have further increased the sufferings of the University Lecturers, insisting that aside bearing big names and nomenclature, they are suffering.
On their part, Prof. Chinyere Echendu and Rev. Sister Dr. Celestina Adaku, Department of Guidance and Counseling, decried frustration at the treatment meted to academics by the federal government.
According to them, they are tired of having unfruitful negotiations after negotiations with the federal government failing to sign agreement reached, saying it is disheartening that the Nigerian government has remained insensitive to the plight of varsity lecturers whose mates in saner climes are paid handsomely for the services rendered.
They emphasized that their salaries are grossly inadequate and cannot take care of their basic needs and begged FG to do the right thing as they are the ones that voted them in.
Rev. Sister Adaku who urged members not to be dismayed by the poor treatment from FG, also appealed to the President Bola Tinubu led federal government to do the right thing by putting themselves in the shoes of the lecturers.
Comments