ASUU Reports 84 Academic Deaths Caused by Economic Hardship and Unpaid Salaries

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has disclosed a tragic toll on its membership, revealing that 84 academics died between May and August 2024 due to economic hardship and ongoing issues with unpaid salaries. This shocking revelation was made by ASUU President, Prof. Emmanuel Osodeke, during an appearance on Channels Television's socio-political program, 'Inside Sources.'

Prof. Osodeke stated, “In the past three months, from May to August 2024, Nigerian universities lost 84 academics to death. In three months, because of what our people are going through." He criticized the government’s continued withholding of salaries under the ‘no work, no pay’ policy, stating, “People are trying to survive; you introduced fuel increases, electricity increases, and everything is gone now.”

Calling for increased funding for university education, Osodeke emphasized that proper remuneration is essential for motivating lecturers, revealing that he earns only N420,000 per month despite his 15 years of experience as a professor. He lamented that Nigerian lecturers cannot compete on a global scale without adequate pay.

In a related development, ASUU recently issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government on September 25, 2024, demanding resolution of several longstanding issues, including the completion of renegotiations of the 2009 FGN/ASUU Agreement and the release of withheld salaries related to the 2022 industrial action.

The 2022 strike by academic and non-academic unions lasted eight months, aimed at securing better welfare packages. While the previous administration of President Muhammadu Buhari enforced the 'no work, no pay' policy against the unions, current President Bola Tinubu approved the release of four months’ worth of the withheld salaries in October 2023, although many issues remain unresolved.