From Aniekan Aniekan, Calabar
The University of Cross River State chapter of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) says the 17-year-old salary structure is inadequate for university lecturers.
Dr Patrick Ushie, the Branch Chairman of the union, disclosed this at the Calabar campus of the institution during a solidarity rally with the union’s national executive.
The union said that, rather than review the salaries as outlined in the 2009 agreement, the federal government has been coming up with diversionary schemes which keep university lecturers in misery.
“The 17-year-old salary structure used to pay Nigerian university workers is out of tune with contemporary economic realities.
“The federal government’s clear refusal to renegotiate our conditions of service after the 2009 agreement has resulted in the inadequate remuneration of lecturers, leaving them underpaid and living in misery.
“Instead of implementing the submissions, diversionary schemes always crop up: Students’ Loan Scheme after Babalakin renegotiations, IPPIS, NELFUND, and CCMAS,” he said.
The ASUU UNICROSS Branch added that the federal government’s failure to honour this agreement indicates it is not willing to honour the Collective Bargaining Principle, despite being a signatory to the ILO Convention and the reputed Giant of Africa.
The union demanded, among others, the renegotiation of the 2009 ASUU-FGN agreement, sustainable funding, and revitalisation of universities.
The union also called for the cessation of the victimisation of our colleagues in LASU, KSU (now Prince Abubakar Audu University), and FUTO, as well as payment of outstanding salary arrears.
The union explained that the solidarity rally is about national standards that will benefit all past, current, and future academics in Nigeria.
