Unpaid salaries: 84 lecturers died in 3 months, says ASUU boss

The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has, on October 7, 2024, lamented that 84 of their members died between May and August 2024 because of economic hardship and unpaid salaries.

ASUU President, Mr. Emmanuel Osodeke, made this statement during a programme, Inside Sources with Laolu Akande, a socio-political programme aired on Channels Television.

“For four months from May to August 2024, Nigerian universities lost 84 academics to death.

“In three months, because of what our people are passing through.

“Despite this crisis, you are holding someone 4 months or more salaries on the no work, no pay; you are owing this money.

“People are trying to survive on their own, you introduced fuel increase, you introduced electricity tariff hike, and everything is on the high now.”

More details on Emmanuel Osodeke

Osodeke is a Nigerian Professor of Soil Science and the current National President of ASUU.

He was elected to this position on May 30, 2021.

Prior to his current role, the professor served as the vice president of ASUU.

He is also a professor at the Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike .

Osodeke advocates for increased funding for university education in Nigeria, saying that to get the sector functioning optimally, lecturers must be motivated.

He mentioned that his salary N420,000 per month despite being a professor for good 15 years.

According to him, Nigerian lecturers cannot compete globally unless they are well-paid.

ASUU issues Federal Government 14-day ultimatum for strike

ASUU had, in the meantime, on September 25, issued the Federal Government 14-day ultimatum for a strike action.

The union asked the government to resolve several lingering issues, including the conclusion of the negotiation of the 2009 FGN/ASUU agreement as well as the release of withheld salaries due to the 2022 industrial action.

In 2022, academic and non-academic staffs in Nigeria embarked on eight-month strike to press home some of their demands, including a better welfare package.

The then administration of President Muhammadu Buhari subsequently invoked ‘no work, no pay policy’ against the protesters.

In October 2023, President Bola Tinubu approved to release about eight months withheld salaries.

Some, however, were not paid. ASUU members were paid four months of the withheld salaries.

Members of the Senior Staff Association of Nigerian Universities (SSANU) and the Non-Academic Staff Union (NASU), however, were not paid at all.

The two non-academic Staffs were on strike earlier in March.

Education Minister, Tahir Mamman, announced that government should consider half payment to them.

Osodeke said ASUU members must be fully paid for the entire period of their industrial action in 2022.

He said that Tinubu administration have not done lecturers good even though he paid four months out of eight months’ withheld salaries.

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