UNIUYO ASUU Protests Poor Salaries, Demands Dignity for Lecturers
The Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), University of Uyo branch, on Tuesday joined the nationwide protest to demand better welfare for lecturers and the implementation of the renegotiated 2009 agreement with the Federal Government.
Professors and senior lecturers marched through the town campus, the university annex, and Ikpa road, carrying placards with inscriptions such as “Our salaries are too poor,” “Pay us sustainable living salaries,” and “Treat lecturers with some dignity.”
The protest disrupted all academic and social activities across three campuses, forcing the suspension of scheduled examinations.
Lecturers Decry 16 Years Without Salary Review
Addressing members at the protest ground, Prof. Opeyemi Olajide, Chairperson of UNIUYO ASUU, expressed disappointment that lecturers in federal universities have been on the same salary scale for over 16 years, despite the worsening cost of living.
He accused the government of neglecting its responsibility by refusing to implement the renegotiated 2009 agreement or review lecturers’ salaries since 2012. He further noted that third-party salary deductions and arrears of promotion have remained unpaid for nearly a year.
“Today, lecturers are staging a protest to let the world know how the Federal Government is treating us with disdain. We have been on the same salary for 16 years, our arrears are withheld, and infrastructure in universities is neglected. There will be no examination today, go home!” – Prof. Olajide
Criticism of Government Priorities
Supporting the protest, former UNIUYO ASUU Chairperson, Dr. Nwachukwu Anyim, condemned the government’s plan to review the salaries of political office holders while leaving lecturers behind.
According to him, this shows hypocrisy and disregard for education. “If you expect university lecturers to earn the same salary for over 15 years while politicians’ jumbo salaries are being reviewed, that is wickedness of the highest order,” he said.
Possible Indefinite Strike Looms
The union warned that if the government fails to act, lecturers may have no option but to embark on an indefinite strike, further grounding academic activities in Nigerian universities.
The UNIUYO protest highlights the frustration of lecturers who feel undervalued and neglected despite their critical role in shaping the nation’s future. Without urgent intervention, Nigeria’s public university system risks deeper collapse, affecting both students and the country’s development.
