UNILORIN ASUU Criticizes FG Over Delayed Salaries and Appointments of Aged Council Members
The University of Ilorin branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has criticized the federal government for delaying the payment of three and a half months of withheld salaries owed to university staff.
Chris Oyeoku Okafor 
The University of Ilorin branch of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has expressed frustration with the federal government over delayed payment of outstanding salaries and what it deems as inappropriate appointments to governing councils of tertiary institutions.
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Speaking at a press conference in Ilorin, ASUU Unilorin branch chairman Alex Akanmu criticized the government for withholding three and a half months of salaries owed to university staff. Akanmu described the delay as unjustifiable and a reflection of the government's disregard for academic staff dedication.
He also lambasted the federal government for appointing elderly individuals to the governing councils of universities, arguing that octogenarians are unfit to drive the development agenda of 21st-century educational institutions.
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Akanmu emphasized, "As academics, our concern is this: we are looking at octogenarians to drive a 21st-century development agenda; can they do it? No! That’s the barbaric and unacceptable level to which this government has taken the country."
Regarding the Earned Academic Allowance (EAA), Akanmu pointed out that despite being budgeted for in 2023, there has been no progress in its payment. He criticized the government's indifference to the economic challenges faced by academic staff, describing their treatment as reminiscent of a "slave-master attitude."
"It is twenty months since our 2022 industrial action ended, yet the government has shown no positive response to our demands," Akanmu stated. He expressed ASUU's unwavering stance on the legitimate demand for salary payments and condemned the government's lack of action in addressing their grievances.
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The ASUU chairman concluded by urging the federal government to prioritize the welfare of academic staff and expedite the resolution of their outstanding issues to foster a conducive academic environment.
