Abuja, Nigeria – Dem lecturers for Nigeria don turn protest ground like say na carnival, but this one no be party matter. Dem dey vex say dem salary dey too small, and the government no even gree listen to dem wahala. As of now, Nigerian lecturers dey collect paltry sum wey no fit even buy them decent lunch.
For instance, dem professors wey fall hand dey collect around N500,000 monthly, while Senior Lecturers wey suppose dey shine like stars dey struggle to take home between N386,101 and N480,780. No be joke o! Dem last year, former ASUU President Emmanuel Osodeke don talk say our lecturers na among the lowest paid for the world. E no sweet at all, as other African countries dey pay them lecturers pass $2,000 (about N3.3 million) every month! Wetin be dis?
Oluwatoyin Ogundipe, wey be the past Vice-Chancellor of University of Lagos, don chop vex join statement. The man reveal say, as VC, him dey collect just N900,000 per month (approximately $580). Na wetin be that? Even as him dey still teach, e dey collect just slightly above N700,000 after dem don collect tax. E don make clear say this low pay no dey allow better graduates stay for the system, as 239 first-class graduates don waka go different places within seven years because their pockets no dey fill.
Ogundipe talk say if dem no fix this problem, soon we go only see women lecturers for university. Wetin be this nonsense? For abroad, people wey teach dey collect beta salary. For Finland, if you no get master degree, you no fit teach for primary or secondary school. Meanwhile, for Switzerland, teachers dey collect as much as $69,000 after 15 years of grinding. Na only for Naija, dem dey treat education sector like say e no matter.
Wetin dey pain pass be say this same government wey no dey pay lecturers well, dey pay senators like say dem be gods. One senator go dey collect around N21 million every month. E no make sense! But lecturers wey dey train the future dey manage ‘poverty salary’. Dis one dey vex me well well.
ASUU, di Academic Staff Union of Universities, don gree go on strikes several times to show dem frustration. The last strike wey happen during COVID-19 lockdown boned public universities for two academic sessions. Just recently, dem don start protests again, dey shout say how dem salary don dey stagnant for 16 years while the economy dey suffer. Na wetin dem go do?
Members of ASUU from Nnamdi Azikiwe University talk say di pay na wetin dem dey call “poverty salary.” The Federal Government no don fulfill di 2009 MoU wey dem sign with ASUU. Now, ASUU dey demand make dem release three and a half months’ salary wey dem don hold, plus salary arrears wey dey range between 25 to 35 percent, and funding for di revitalisation of public universities. Dem say dem go put N1.3 trillion for dis improvement but na only N200 billion dem don release since 2013, and na im be di only one wey don drop.
The strikes dey cause serious wahala for students, as dem academic calendar dey scatter like say na market. Education dey important and e deserve better funding. Make President Bola Tinubu hear dis one and ensure say no ASUU strike dey happen for him tenure like him don promise. Most importantly, our lecturers’ pay must dey reviewed to reflect market value, not this one wey dey make dem dey chop sand instead of food.
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