By Isaiah Eka
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Uyo branch on Tuesday joined nationwide protest called by its national leadership over Federal Government’s failure to complete 2009 renegotiated agreement.
The ASUU national leadership had ordered its branches across the country to shut down campuses and suspended all academic activities within the institution.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that lecturers came out in their numbers and were seen matching on main campus of the University, the University annex and Ikpa road displaying placards with various inscriptions.
Some of the placards read; “Our salaries are too poor’, ‘pay us sustainable living salaries’, ‘Treat lecturers with some dignity’, `We are FG lecturers and not borrowers’, ‘Government please sign and implement our renegotiated agreement,” among others.
Addressing the newsmen, Prof. Opeyemi Olajide, Chairperson of ASUU UNIUYO, said that the lecturers in federal universities have been on a fixed salary for more than 16 years without any increase in spite the harsh economic realities.
Olajide expressed dismay over government’s refusal to complete renegotiated 2009 agreement with the union or renegotiate their salary since 2012 it was due.
He added that government had refused to pay third party deductions for salaries paid almost a year ago and arrears of promotion.
The ASUU chairperson said that the union would no longer allow government to treat members’ welfare with levity.
“Today, University lecturers are staging protest to let the world know how the federal government is treating us with disdain.
“Federal Government of Nigeria has decided to destroy the public university system as it did to public primary and secondary schools.
“Federal Government still withheld our salaries for three and half months after we have done the job. We have been on same salary for 16 years.
“The Federal government has refused to fund infrastructure in public universities, look at where you are taking your exams, is it befitting? ,” Olajide said.
Also speaking, Dr Nwachukwu Anyim, former ASUU chairperson of the branch, said as the federal government’s move to review the salaries of political office holders, it is necessary they review that of university lecturers.
“If you expect university lecturers to earn the same salary for over 16 years and you reviewing salaries of political office holders without that of lecturers, that is not good at all. NAN
