The federal government’s decision to cut the salary university lecturers’ salary for the month of October is generating ripples among various public universities across the country, as many fear this could disrupt the ongoing academic calendar.
Members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) are not pleased with the decision of the federal government to tamper with the lecturers’ salaries after a mutual agreement was reached to call off the strike after eight months of industrial action.
At the University of Lagos (UNILAG) a female lecturer was reported to have walked into the classroom and announced to the students that she was not there because she was meant to be there, but rather because she had promised the students to be there, and because of the federal government’s attitude towards the payment of lecturers’ salary, she walked out of the class without delivery a lecture.
Another lecturer sent a message to students that read thus, “For those saying ASUU wahala is too much, and by the time we start another strike next week, see my October salary of N29,269.69.”
Similarly, a lecturer declared no lecture on Friday, November 4, 2022 morning, stating that he won’t be in class.
Confirming the salary cut by the federal government, Oyintonyo Michael-Olomu, a senior lecturer at the Federal University, Otuoke in Bayelsa State said it is very sad the government did not honour its agreement with the union over the salary payment.
However, she said this may not affect the ongoing academic activities yet until ASUU leaders decide to put an end to lectures.
Ifeanyi Abada, the chairman of ASUU at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka chapter also confirmed that the salary was tampered with resulting in some lecturers getting half of their salary for the month of October.
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“It is unfortunate, we are watching the development, but for now we are starting our examinations and we hope to conclude it before any other strike action is taken by the union,” he said.
Adepoju Tejumaiye, a senior lecturer at the University of Lagos affirmed that some of the lecturers got about 40 to 50 percent of their salary for the month of October.
Tejumaiye condemned the position of the federal government over the salary payment of lecturers.
“The national executive council (NEC) of ASUU will be meeting on Monday-Tuesday, November 7-8 , 2022 to review the situation and anything can happen based on the resolution reached at the meeting,” he said.
In the face of all these, many students are worried and confused over what will become of their fate should this impasse continue to escalate like it is doing now.
Recall that ASUU called off the eight-month strike which started on Monday, February 14, 2022 on Monday, October 17, 2022.
Emmanuel Osodeke, the president of ASUU explained that the union called off its eight-month strike following a court order and appeals from Nigerians.
“As you have seen from our press release – although there were interventions by Gbajabiamila and others – the major reason we are resuming is that we are obeying the industrial court’s judgement.
“We are resuming because we are a law-abiding organisation and we don’t want to break the law. We are also hoping that the intervention of the speaker as promised by him will resolve this problem within a very short time. So, the issues have not been resolved but we would resume because of that court injunction,” he said.
Osodeke explained that the issues have not been fully resolved and no agreements signed.
He stressed that negotiation was the best way to resolve trade disputes involving academics.
“But one of the ministers, the minister of labour, believes that the best way is to force lecturers to class. But because of the interest of the Nigerian people – the students, their parents, and the speaker who is intervening – our members will teach,” he noted.
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