Abuja, Nigeria – After serious wahala wey dem don cause for universities with their nationwide protests, members of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) get ready to hold congresses to decide wetin dem go do next. This follow the Federal Government sharp meeting today wey dey try settle the lingering koko of renegotiated 2009 FGN-ASUU agreement. Chai! E no be small matter o!
Earlier for this year, President Bola Tinubu don release N50 billion to clear some of the earned allowances wey lecturers dey chop, but dem still dey ask for better salary, better working condition, and proper funding for schools. Na wetin dem go discuss today for the meeting wey Minister of Education, Dr. Tunji Alausa, and Minister of Labour, Muhammadu Maigari Dingyadi, plus other oga-at-the-top go attend.
Government people wey dey talk to us say dem go talk about how to combine the Yayale Ahmed committee report wey ready since December 2024 with the original agreement wey dem sign for 2009. Abi no be only talks, they also go find how to fit phase the money wey dey enter national budget for these professors wey dey suffer!
ASUU president, Prof. Chris Piwuna, don tell us say dem dey expect government to carry their wahala for head. “We don tire for all these speeches, we wan see action, not just more mouth,” him talk. But as e be, ASUU no dey join for this meeting at all. Dem just wan go back to their members after the protests to know wetin dem go do next. No time to waste!
Just to remind you, before we enter the protests, ASUU branches don warn say their patience don finish. Dem dey vex as the report wey dem submit for February no show any sign of action. Prof. Al-Amin Abdullahi from ASUU talk say dem don do their own side, make government no let the reports enter filing cabinet again o! If dem no do something sharp-sharp, we fit start another bad strike wey go affect all our public universities! Wetin dey happen?!
As dem dey report, lecturers dey complain say money no dey too much to feed their families. One ex-vice chancellor, Prof. Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, don talk say morale for lecturers dey low, and wetin dem dey pay no fit even settle house rent. Imagine professors dey sleep for office instead of their homes; e be like movie wey no get sense!
Many of these lecturers dey collect between N500,000 to N700,000, but after deductions, dem dey chop N300,000. E no good at all! Prof. Tunde Adeoye don beg the Federal Government say if dem no fit increase salaries, we go dey see more lecturers carry their bags waka go other countries wey go pay dem better.
As it stand now, the wahala wey dey happen fit lead to brain drain, and na our future we go dey joke with. All these professors get families to take care of, and if dem no fit pay dem well, na who we go fit carry come teach our pikin dem? E be like say some people dey forget say education na the bedrock of every nation!
As we dey talk, the Secretary of the Committee of Vice Chancellors don blame the government for this ongoing matter. Dem dey create the impression say academics no mean anything, and we sabi say na education fit change the game for Naija. If dem no give us the respect we need, how e go fit happen? All these lecturers wey don train and bring knowledge come back fit dey suffer, while dem wey no fit do anything dey enjoy better pay. Na wetin be this?
So, all eyes dey on the Federal Government today, we hope say dem go show small sense and do wetin dey necessary to keep our education system alive. Make we no dey carry school and lecturers go back to the stone age!
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