By Uduak Etukudo
UYO
The leadership of the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU) has threatened another strike should the Federal Government fail to sign and implement their renegotiation agreement since 2009.
This position was made known by the chairperson of ASUU, University of Uyo (UNIUYO) branch, Comrade Opeyemi Olajide, during a press conference at CBN Hall, Town Campus of the university at Ikpa Road, Uyo, on Tuesday, August 26, 2025.
Addressing the media shortly after a nationwide peaceful protest by ASUU members, Comrade Olajide said the time was ripe for the Federal Government to sign and implement the agreement reached in 2024, after negotiations since 2009; stressing they would no longer condone the President Bola Tinubu-led government pretentious antics of working to address the issues when actually they were busy at nothing.
The chairperson condemned in strong terms the recalcitrant nature of the government towards improving the conditions of service of lecturers despite several rounds of dialogue set up for renegotiation, intimating that the last time the conditions were negotiated was in 2009, when a dollar was equivalent to 145 Naira.
He expressed the union’s disappointment that for the past 16 years, their salaries have been stagnated in spite of the changing times, realities of a devalued economy and inflationary trends over the years, adding that the government even aggravated the problem by introducing Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Loan Scheme without consulting them.
“We therefore make bold to reject the Tertiary Institutions Staff Support Loan and everything it represents because it has been described as a poisonous chalice”, he stressed.
According to his analysis, the average annual remuneration of a professor at bar is about N9.1 million, with an average monthly salary being less than N800 thousand, explaining that 33.3 per cent maximum loan that is possible is about N3 million.
He affirmed that it was a clear fact that for a lecturer to qualify for a loan to the tune of N10 million, to be paid back within two years, he must be earning up to N2.5 million, with an estimated annual salary of N30 million, wondering how that would be possible when their monthly and annual salaries are a far cry from the amount in question.
“How is it possible for any lecturer in Nigeria to qualify for this loan of N10 million? Is this not a clear deceit of the highest order?” he queried.
Issues raised by the union included the immediate signing and implementation of the draft renegotiated 2009 agreement; immediate domestication and implementation of this agreement by respective visitors of state-owned universities; immediate release and payment of three and a half months outstanding salaries of members and the third party deductions by IPPIS.
Others were: payment of promotion arrears and implementation of mainstreamed EAA in members’ salaries; removal of threats to university autonomy and academic freedom; review of the NUC Act to accommodate some of the lapses pointed out by the body; respect for the TETFund Act and an end to abuse and misuse of TETFund monies to fund sundry expenses instead of academic development as well as an end to victimisation of members in Kogi State University, now Abubakar Audu University.
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