ASUU Expresses Concern Over Unchanged Salaries for 15 Years
The union called on the Federal Government to expedite the renegotiation process and implement an upward review of academic staff emoluments to reflect current economic realities. They emphasized the importance of signing the draft agreement reached with the Nimi Briggs committee as a crucial step towards addressing these issues.
AKACHI NOEL 
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) in the Owerri, Anambra State zone has voiced its dissatisfaction over the consistent payment of unchanged salaries to its members for the past 15 years. At a press conference held at Nnamdi Azikiwe University, Awka, the Owerri ASUU zonal coordinator, Dennis Aribodor, highlighted the union's concerns regarding the lack of progress in repositioning public universities for national development, as outlined in the FGN-ASUU Agreement of 2009.
Aribodor, accompanied by other executive members of the zonal union, criticized both the previous and current administrations for neglecting key elements of the 2009 agreement and failing to address lingering issues that led to the nationwide strike action from February to October 2022. One of the major grievances raised was the stagnant salary structure for academic staff in public universities, which has remained unchanged for a decade and a half.
The union called on the Federal Government to expedite the renegotiation process and implement an upward review of academic staff emoluments to reflect current economic realities. They emphasized the importance of signing the draft agreement reached with the Nimi Briggs committee as a crucial step towards addressing these issues.
Highlighting the implications of the prolonged renegotiation process, Aribodor emphasized that university teachers in Nigeria have been operating under the same salary regime since 2009, despite significant changes in the economic landscape. He expressed concerns about the impact of this stagnation on the quality of education and the retention of qualified lecturers, urging the government to take immediate action to prevent further brain drain from the country's universities.
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In addition to salary concerns, ASUU also raised issues regarding the alleged victimization of its members at the Federal University of Technology, Owerri (FUTO), particularly in response to their opposition to the appointment of Dr. Isa Ibrahim Ali Pantami as a professor in the institution. ASUU accused the Vice-Chancellor of FUTO, Prof. Nnenna Oti, of intimidation and called for the reversal of the alleged illegal appointment.
Furthermore, ASUU demanded the release of withheld salaries, payment of arrears of earned academic allowances, reversal of the illegal dissolution of university governing councils, and the exit of tertiary institutions from the Integrated Personnel and Payroll Information System (IPPIS).
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The Owerri zone ASUU, comprising members from various institutions including UNIZIK, Awka, Federal University of Technology, Owerri, Imo State University, Michael Okpara University, Umudike, and Chukwuemeka Odumegwu Ojukwu University, Igbariam, reiterated their commitment to ensuring industrial harmony and peace on the country's campuses through constructive engagement with relevant authorities.
