Fred Ezeh, Abuja
Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has strongly demanded for improved welfare and working condition of Professors and other academic staff in Nigerian universities.
ASUU disclosed that its members are paid “peanut” as salary, even as they work tirelessly to impact useful knowledge on the students who are, later, released to the society to contribute to socioeconomic development of Nigeria.
Chairman of ASUU, University of Lagos (UniLag) chapter, Dele Ashiru, who appeared on one of the National television (TVC), on Friday, disclosed that a highest paid Professor in Nigerian University earn N450, 000 monthly.
He said: “It means that if a professor spends 20 years as a professor in any university, he or she will get a pay rise. That’s why we are asking for renegotiation of our agreement so that our condition of service can improve.
“We teach students who control the affairs of the country and beyond, can afford thrice the salaries of our professors and other academic staff members. Regrettably, these students cannot be taught by unmotivated lecturers if this situation continues
“We also demand that government send visitation panels to federal universities to examine governance issues therein. People accused universities of being corrupt but that is what the visitation panels ought to unravel.
“The law stipulate that visitation panel should be dispatched to institutions every five years but that has not been done in the past 10 years by the Federal Government. That was the reason for the overbearing powers allegedly exercised by people like Dr. Wale Babalakin, who was the Chairman, Governing Council of UniLag. He played “god” in the university whilst he was in the Council.